Caprice
by the mythologist
Summary: The drama that ensues when the infamous Spartoi is laid low by the love potion Nyne, the latest word in hormonal warfare. Crack pairings that straighten out into: SoMa, Black/Tsu, Patti/Kid. M for swearing and deliciousness later on. Basically Completed!
1. Day 1

**Seeing as how I am not the illustrious Atsushi Ookubo, I do not own Soul:Eater.**

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**Caprice**

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**Of Friends Who Mean Well and the Mayhem (Clusterfuck) that Ensues Anyway: Day 1, Part 1**

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It was a day fashioned for caprice by the gods themselves. Winds swirled about haphazardly, kicking and swirling the fallen autumn leaves, taking small insects and bits of paper for the ride of their lives. The sun was out and smirking but it looked rather unsure; clouds hedged all around and it suspected its eternal adversary might win the day. Death City inhabitants could _feel_ the mischief on a day like today – the tension lodged somewhere between the stomach and throat – and had unconsciously built up barriers against anything that seemed too out of the ordinary. In their world of kisshins and witches and insanity, you couldn't be too careful…

Of course, not everyone adhered to the general level of caution. The ninja stalking (at the top of his lungs) up the street on his way to school certainly had no such inhibitions. Every swagger and lunge was a physical challenge to the powers that govern normalcy, accompanied by a verbal counterpart: "ALL BOW TO THE GREAT ME! I _ALONE_ AM BEST."

His demure weapon walked politely behind him, quietly worrying, always watchful. She cared for the boy more than she could ever find words for, let alone admit, and the gods of chaos passed her on today knowing that the time ahead would be a painful one for her. The disparity in their ages and her motherly instincts would not avail her, although her strength might.

Several streets over, another pair made their way to school. They were a far more subtle study: the technician was an endearing mix of courage and stubbornness, physical insecurity, and marked intelligence and skill. She was a talented girl poised to become a powerful woman, and knew the subsequent loneliness and mistrust that so often was par for that course. Unfortunately, her earnest and unflinching demeanor nabbed the attention of caprice, although her partner was luckier in that respect.

He slouched and drooled, in defiance to his blood and upbringing; hid behind sarcastic mutters instead of engaging in the polite conversation he had been taught. He was a curious concoction of smoke, mirrors and madness; he had hidden behind his loneliness for most of his life. Yet now he had _her_, she who could dispel his insecurities with a brash toss of her head, and now he knew the sunlight. He would fight for her with every breath in his body, and the lords of chaos knew this, and recognized their end.

Yet the powers that govern caprice will move as only they will, and it settled at last on its choice. A smiling woman of indiscernible age sat giggling at her technician's table, fashioning a drooping giraffe from a collection of used (now unusable) napkins. Her older sister picked at her cuticles, and prayed their technician wouldn't be above two hours late this time. She was personally too old for mischief's taste, and there was a hardness in her that it didn't like to work with. Her technician, on the other hand, was far too manic and steeped in compulsion already, and he had been tempered with his recent trials. Not him. _Her._ The one with the giraffe, alternately giggling and scowling, both threatening and precious. She would be their vehicle.

The game was on.

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"So did you guys hear? About Nyne?"

Maka glanced over at her friend, but didn't stop walking to class. The eager witch had to take long strides to keep up with her, and had often wondered how Soul could follow so close behind with his slouching, short-legged gait. Jackie of course was her own personal shadow, and the girls had always meshed well.

"Nyne? No, what is it?"

"Some movie, right?" Soul broke in, looking bored, but taking the opportunity to lean across his technician and join the conversation anyways. He adjusted his headband as Kim giggled, too damn bouncy in the mornings. She must have seen Ox already.

"Nooooo, the love potion. You know, the one that's said to _actually work._"

Maka spared her friend a concerned glance. "_Potion_? Is it…safe?" _And not developed by witches?_ She asked silently, expecting Kim would understand her concern. While everyone trusted and accepted Kim, she knew it had to be a sore subject with her still; witches were Shibusen students' mortal enemies, after all.

"Oh, definitely! Leah tried it out on Ben this weekend, and they're glued to the hip now. Smiling like monkeys and talking like five year olds. Yep, it definitely works."

Maka opened her mouth to explain the difference between the words "works" and "safe" but was cut off by Kim running ahead into Ox's open arms, giggling all the while. That shut it pretty quickly. Kim and Ox were a thing, yeah, but not _that_ much of a thing…Soul, judging from the way he'd been turned into a pillar since last she checked, agreed. "Soul? You ok?" For a moment she feared she had missed something major, epic in the proportions that only a teenage crush could be, but then Soul shook his head and grinned a crooked, rueful smile.

"Nah, I'm good. Heh heh, Ox's pretty whipped, huh?" He pointed to the technician who was spinning Kim around, fighting off a rather monkey-like grin of his own. Maka snickered, feeling her fear dissipate like smoke. _Of course_ Soul didn't like Kim. That would just be-

"ALL HAIL THE GREAT ME! BOW DOWN LOWLY HUMANS AND CLEAR OUT OF MY (and Tsubaki's) WAY." Black*Star paused, hands still upraised, his impossibly colored hair sticking up in all angles, voice raised high enough to rouse the dead. His glance fell on Soul and Maka and he grinned recklessly. "EXCEPT FOR SOUL AND MAKA, THEY MAY STAY. THAT IS ALL."

Maka facepalmed and Soul snorted. Maka prayed for the day that Black*Star would pretend to be a normal human at least until 8am, but Soul thought it was funny. He shook up the routine, and provided him with an excellent foil. Black*Star was (very) loud, (most of the time) obnoxious, (absolutely) ridiculous, and (almost) always made Soul look cooler by comparison.

Black*Star strolled up to them with Tsubaki in tow. Now that she was within a five-foot radius, she politely bid them good morning, and looked meaningfully at Maka. Maka smiled back and nudged Soul.

"Hey, we'll be in class in a minute. Save us seats, ok?"

Soul grunted his assent, and tried not to stare at her as she walked off with Tsubaki, very likely to the girl's bathroom, the haven of all that is feminine and silly, with a dash of blood thrown in to ward off inquisitive adolescent males. He remembered the time when Kilik and Ox had ignored the menstrual safeguard, and the haunted look on their faces for weeks afterwards. Stifling a chuckle, he hunched his shoulders and tuned into his best (male) friend, knowing what was to come.

"So? Start anything?" He tilted his head in the direction the girls had taken, taking care to speak at about half-volume. Had they cared, he might have only _disturbed_ the dead instead of rousing them to full fury.

Soul grimaced. "No. Don't see a need to." He was not about to get into their mutual fear of commitment, and how they had gone farther together than he'd ever believed possible. He still was grateful for every day together, and he wasn't about to chance all this. He half turned away and began walking to class, wondering who they had today: his partner's _bastard_ of a dad, Patches McGee, or Sid. No messing around with him, that was simply not the man he was.

Black*Star was not to be pushed aside. "Dude, what are you waiting for? Anyways, I thought you wanted to _stop_ the insane flow of "partner requests" you've been getting since she made you a Death Scythe. And you're in love with her. Like, since we were _twelve."_

"Shut up," Soul growled. He didn't need a reminder. The last few years had been rough, even taking into consideration that he hadn't realized the extent of his emotional dependency on his partner until they were fourteen. Still. Two years is a damn long time to love some unrequitedly, and an even longer time for Black*Star to keep a secret. Damn, maybe he should be less pissed and more impressed…

"Foolish mortal, to think of silencing a GOD! But seriously. Get on that shit. I mean, it's not like she's looking at anyone else. Otherwise she'd have dropped your mopey ass by now." Ignoring Soul's pointed glare he rambled on, as oblivious to the workings of fate as he was to the anger of his best friend. "You better hurry up, man. She's starting to get kinda' cute…some other guy's gonna' swoop in soon if you don't make her yours." A shifty look, paired with an upraised eyebrow. "But maybe it's your time, my friend. Heard about Nyne?"

Soul sputtered, feeling the hit to his cool card keenly. Even Black*Star knew about this Nyne shit? Was he the _only_ one who hadn't heard about it? Damn, how out of the loop _was_ he? He struggled to maintain his composure. "Yeah, I've uh, heard about it."

"And?" Black*Star bounced excitedly, eyebrows to his hairline. "You gonna' go for it?"

Soul didn't hesitate. "No."

"What? Why? It's practically a gift from all the other gods not so awesome as me!"

"Absolutely not."

Black*Star pouted. "Well, I think it's genius. Lets her try out the goods, and then she'll never want to leave."

"Black*Star, you're hurting my soul. Seriously." He shook his head. "It's just not cool, ok? Who'd want a drugged up woman anyways? And it can't be forever, if it even works at all. The aftermath would be _hell."_

"Enh, I heard it only lasts a week. That's why it's a taste, just a teaser. You know, this is how great I am, don't you wanna' be with me all the time?" He leaned in conspiratorally. "Tsubaki says certain couples used it as a kind of booster…you know, they already like each other, they just wanted to see if it did anything." He leaned back, smiling proudly.

Soul shook his head minutely, intrigued in spite of himself. "And? Did it?"

Black*Star's smile never faltered. "No idea. Didn't listen to the rest."

Soul growled again, wondering if it was unethical to shove his friend's head through a locker. It probably was, he decided, but if he said one more thing about fucking Nyne…

"Death Scythe-kun?"

Both boys turned to see a blushing girl, fidgeting awkwardly with her fingers. "Ano…could I talk to you for a second?"

Yep. Screw ethical. He reached for Black*Star but the ninja had already moved on, laughing wildly. Soul turned back to the girl, only just keeping himself from rolling his eyes. "Hai…"

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"So you practically offered yourself up to him…with or without the Nyne potion, and _he didn't care?_" Maka could feel the disbelief dripping off her face like blood. She knew her friend was crazy, but hadn't known him to be _insane._

"Well…he was in the middle of a training set, and he was very tired-"

"Bullshit! Tsubaki, you are the most _beautiful _and _amazing _woman I know, and if he can't take you seriously for thirty seconds then he's an absolute dumbass. I mean, he is, but still! ARGH." Maka stomped her foot, and turned to the mirror, clutching onto the sink for dear life and sweet sanity. "Can heNOT see what he's missing out on?"

Behind her, Tsubaki smiled a sad yet grateful smile. That her (female) best friend would stick up for her so was more than encouraging, it warmed her heart. After all, only Maka had known what the past year or so had cost her. Ever since she had fallen unexpectedly and jarringly in love with her self-absorbed technician, her emotional affairs had never been too stable. There were times when she wished that Black*Star would ignore her completely; perhaps then she would find the peace she craved. Yet no matter how selfish and unobservant he could be, he always demanded a place for her, and would accept nothing less than the best for his compliant partner.

He obviously cared deeply for her. He just didn't notice her sexually. And after her feeble attempt yesterday, she didn't know what else to do.

"Ok, ok, back up. So…you told him about Nyne, and then…?"

Tsubaki sighed. She was a little embarrassed talking about this with Maka, but who else could she turn to? "I told him about other…couples and partners who had used it as a control group, and they said how much better it made their relationships. Eased communication, better sex," (here Tsubaki blushed, trying not to remember certain adventures of their youth in which the word "hornball" played a part)," all that. And then I casually asked him if he thought it might be fun to try." She paused.

Maka looked over her shoulder impatiently. "_And?"_

"Well, he…he agreed."

Maka had already opened her mouth to castigate her unfortunate friend and the surprise took her a moment to get over. "That _bas-_wait, what? He agreed?"

Tsubaki sighed and looked away. "He said 'yeah sure, whatever you want.' He hadn't actually _listened, _Maka! I could have said I was leaving him for another partner and he would have said the same thing. _He doesn't care._ You said it yourself, he couldn't even listen to me for thirty seconds." She slumped, dejected. "I feel like…like I'm nothing more than a tool to him."

Out of the depths of Maka's battle against castrating Black*Star _at that very instant_, a strange thought bubbled up from the unconscious of her psyche to her rational, if slightly overworked thought processes. "Well then _do _it."

Tsubaki picked her head up, confused. "Do…what?"

Maka liked the crazy plan the more she thought about it. "Do it. Give him Nyne. Make him see what he's missing. Then, when it wears off, see whether or not _you_ want to be with him." She shook her head, admiringly. "I think it's crazy enough to work."

Tsubaki gaped. This advice…from Maka? What in the world? "But…but I don't _have _Nyne…and I don't know how to get it…"

Maka smirked, and turned back to the mirror. She straightened her tie dramatically. Grinned. "Ah. But I do."

Tsubaki looked at her reckless friend through the mirror. "Oh dear…"

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For some, lunch couldn't come soon enough. Others had work to do, and got it done. Maka spent almost half an hour working on Kim (_so Ox huh…you're really digging those _pillars of power_…so what's Nyne like?)_ before she would own up to having used Nyne last Thursday. She didn't have any more, but she could put Maka in contact with the one who had hooked her up. She just had to wait until lunch, and then Maka would have her heart's desire. Grinning shyly, Kim asked _was it for Soul?_

Maka's shock was enough to convince Kim it wasn't, although her mad blush counteracted her sincerity. Kim realized she probably wouldn't need it anyways, she was about 98% sure Soul was absolutely in love with Maka, and that matters couldn't be so desperate as to warrant Maka's needing Nyne. No, it had to be for someone else…

"Ah, I know! It's for Black*Star!" She giggled. "I kinda' figured he'd be hopeless at romance…he's normally so confident, but when you're in love with a woman like Tsubaki, I guess it would be easy to think you're not good enough."

Maka was caught between embracing Kim for noticing Tsubaki's clear superiority, and chagrin that the truth seemed to be so far removed from her logic. Maka chuckled nervously. "Oh, I dunno'. I don't think Black*Star has noticed anything that he can't use to train, eat, or fight. And besides, who says Tsubaki wants him?"

Kim gave her a look that clearly questioned her sanity. "Are you kidding? Why else-_how_ else could she be his partner for all these years if she wasn't in love with him? I mean, rippling muscles equals _hot yes_, but that's about it, girl. He can be as dumb as a brick, and you know it."

Maka grudgingly agreed. She had told Tsubaki time and time again to leave herself open for the possibility of a better guy coming along, but Tsubaki was adamant. Once, perhaps Mifune would have done the trick. Now, it was Black*Star or nothing.

Hence the Nyne. Finally heeding Professor Stein's glare (he'd do nothing more than that, as she and her friends only came to class after promising Kid and Shinigami-sama that they'd retain a semblance of normalcy. It helped to combat the insanity, at any rate) the girls stopped their whispering and commenced pretending to pay attention.

Maka positively smirked. _Just you wait, Black*Star. You'll realize what a _real _woman is after today…_

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Liz and Tsubaki were already at the customary table when Maka and Kid made their way through the chattering underclassmen. It felt strange to cut through swathes of youngsters, but as Kilik was on a mission, Ox and Kim were likely exploring their sexual boundaries (consequently, Harvar and Jackie were striving against serious physical and mental illness), and Soul and Black*Star were fetching some pizza for the rest, they were the sole representatives of all those aged 16 and up. All members of Spartoi were asked to come to classes when not on missions, even though most weapons had reached the level of Death Scythe. Needless to say, both weapons and technicians had reached newfound heights of popularity since Asura's second disappearance.

Of course, not _everyone_ appreciated them. Kid in particular seemed to have developed an anti-fan club. Currently, they were fashioning a statue of him made entirely out of cafeteria foods. It was extremely asymmetrical.

"WAGGHHHHH! Don't desecrate _MY SYMMETRY_!" The moment Kid spotted it he rushed over to stop the madness, arms flailing wildly. Maka snorted and set her tray down to Tsubaki, sitting across from Liz. Both girls looked up at her expectantly.

"Oh, Maka. It's nice to see you. Did you have a productive day?" Tsubaki greeted her hesitantly, completely unsure how to broach such a sensitive subject. Her companion had no such scruples.

"Did you get the shit? We're not getting any younger, you know." Liz was the oldest of the group, and therefore was not only taking a shot at Tsubaki's age, but her own. She brandished a French fry like a scolding schoolmarm. "And not to be crude, but Tsubaki's so strung up, it's a wonder she hasn't imploded. She needs to get _laid."_

Tsubaki gasped in horror and embarrassment and even Maka's eyes widened. Liz nonchalantly bit into the fry, then leaned across the table and patted Tsubaki's hand. "Don't worry girl. _You'll see._ Just wait 'til you've got him in your arms…it'll all make sense then."

Tsubaki and Maka were now varying shades of scarlet, and Tsubaki hid her burning face in her arms. Maka coughed and looked to the side, trying very, _very_ hard not to think of Soul in a towel. Therefore, Patti plunking down beside her seemed like a good thing.

"Hi guys!" Patti's insane grin practically sparkled, and Liz gave her sister a lazy wave before subtly shifting her fries away. She knew better than almost anyone that her little sister was rapacious in all her appetites. Moderation was simply not Patricia Thompson's style. The other girls murmured their hellos, and Maka promptly left the tasks of conversation to the other two girls. She had to be on the alert for their contact, Kim had promised she'd send someone over with Nyne at lunch. But they might not approach her if she was surrounded by so many…she made to stand, but a hand gripping her trench coat made her stop. She looked down, surprised.

"Where do you think yer goin'?" Although chipper just the moment before, Patti was now in danger mode, and Maka hurriedly sat back down. _No one_ ignored Patti when she got like this.

"Errr…I'm sort of waiting for someone, Patti, so uh, if you'd just excuse me for a moment…"

"Sit yer ass down. Otherwise how am I gonna' give ya yer shit?" Patti glared her terrifying, soulless glare, and then looked around furtively. Upon spying Kid (still) reprimanding his anti-fan club, she whipped out a handful of packets with _Nyne_ emblazoned diagonally across the top. Mission accomplished, she reverted back to her misleadingly cheerful self, clapping her hands in delight at her friend's shock. "Now _allllll_ you have to do is mix them in liquid, one packet a glass. It'll last a week. Strengthens bonds, increases sex drive, makes shithead partners who haven't fuckin' noticed you yet wake the fuck up. " She giggled and winked. "Drink up, and then make eye contact with your man. I brought enough for all of us!"

The three other girls at the table stared at Patti, shocked beyond rational speech and thought. Then, as one, Maka and Tsubaki turned to Liz, who had turned an unnatural shade of puce and was in immediate danger of French fry inhalation. _Patti had…Patti was the Nyne dealer? _Liz slumped onto the table, scattering her fries, muttering something about _failure_, _on the streets, _and _what would Shinigami-sama say? _ Tsubaki and Maka simply looked at each other, officially weirded out. This was almost as strange as the time Black*Star had fought Kid for the pair of perfectly symmetrical panties.

"Ano…Patti? Why do we *all* have packets?" Tsubaki thought the day couldn't get anymore embarrassing than it already was, but clearly she was wrong. Maka started and blushed, not having caught Patti's intention. Liz continued to mumble incoherently, supplying herself with a bit of percussive ambiance by banging her head upon the table every so often. It was impressively rhythmical.

"Hahahahahahaha Tsubaki-chan, I thought you were smart! Don't you know it's illegal to Nyne someone against their will? If we're _all_ Nyned, we can't be blamed. Also, it's been too long since _any_ of us got any. After all, you're not the only one pining away…" Surprised by her sudden, uncharacteristically mature manner, Maka and Tsubaki followed her glance to a familiar yet surprising figure; that of Death the Kid undergoing what appeared to be an intricate ritual dance upon the anti-fan club's table. This jarred Liz from her stupor, and she spat out a fry.

"Patti, you can't…not to _Kid. _He's our technician, and that would be fuckin' weird!" She sighed. "Also he's _immortal._ Are you sure you want this?"

Maka and Tsubaki had both turned to Liz as she spoke, and now turned in horror to her younger sister to see her reaction. Not even Liz could gainsay Patti and get away with it.

Patti said nothing. She nabbed all their glasses before they could say anything, ripped open the packets of Nyne, began mixing in the contents. Then, without looking at her sister, she spoke. "I've already made my decision, nee-chan. This is what I want." She finished tapping the powdered potion into the girls' glasses and whipped out a couple of Soul and Black*Star's favorite power drinks. She chuckled softly to herself as she tapped the powder into their drinks as well and Maka finally found her voice.

"Patti…thank you for doing all this, but I'm not trying to seduce anyone-"

Danger!Patti was back. "You boning Soul, then?"

Maka gaped, unable to respond. "Uh, er, I, um, don't uh, I don't want, uh…"

Patti smirked, satisfied. She pushed Maka's cup a little closer to her. "That's what I _thought."_

Maka tried her hardest not to blush as she accepted the cup. Of course, she didn't _have_ to drink it, only had to hold it so Patti didn't shove it down her gullet…but what if she did drink it? Huh, ridiculous question: disaster. Absolute catastrophe. It would ruin her and Soul's relationship! She knew how introverted he was, and how highly he valued and how desperately he protected his feelings. This sort of game was a mockery of their current relationship, as best friends and partners and, if such a thing was possible, soulmates without the romantic connotation. She shook her head. No. No matter how much she wanted Soul – and there were times when her mind went nearly _white_ with desire – she couldn't allow anything to change. To do that would be to risk everything they had achieved over the years, and a life without Soul was simply unthinkable…

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAA PATTI THAT BETTER BE MY DEATH JUICE YOU'RE PACKING!" Only Black*Star could manage to speak in all caps all the time. He bounded over and slapped Patti none too lightly on the back, in thanks for having procured his favorite drink. Maka averted her eyes, not wanting to be in the crossfire when all hell broke loose- anyways, she was blocking Tsubaki's line of sight. She got up quickly and bumped into Soul and Kid, the latter of which having been obviously dragged away from correcting his statue's symmetry. Her eyebrows quirked up, and Soul sighed in response. See? She couldn't lose this…she shouldn't be greedy, it was simply not her fate.

"But Soul, I have to go back there…see what they're _doing_ to me? I must-"

"PATTI! THIS CAP IS SUSPICIOUSLY EASY TO OPEN, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"

Maka froze, and her cup (which she had planned on dumping out in the girl's bathroom) shook in her hand. She shot a quick look at Tsubaki, who held her cup to her lips, but had not drunk yet. After all, there was no point in doing so until Black*Star did. Maka's brow furrowed in thought. Why, really, did _Tsubaki_ have to drink if she was already lusting after Black*Star? It wasn't like she needed any help faking the effects, even in the unlikely event that they were caught…Maka had half turned to Tsubaki, muttering urgently for her _not to drink _because who in Shinigami's name could tell what would happen if she did, when she realized her cup was no longer in her hand. When did…Had Soul…? Oh _no._

"AH WELL, PROBABLY JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT EASIER ON ME, THE GREAT GOD. BOTTOMS UP!" As Black*Star raised the bottle to his lips, Patti saw her moment of glory and, thinking only to do Tsubaki a favor, shoved Black*Star as hard as she could in her direction.

The next few moments were remembered haphazardly, as memories broken down in battle. Black*Star careened into Maka, drenching her face – and open mouth, still in the middle of telling Soul _not to dri_- with liquid. Tsubaki froze, head tilted, eyes shut, damage done. Soul reacted automatically, leaning down to catch his technician but her and Black*Star's combined weights were too much for him. All he could manage was one desperate look - and he couldn't even tell if her eyes were open or shut, let alone whether she was looking back at him – before her back hit the floor. He knelt over them, heart racing for no good reason.

Patti sheepishly took a sip of her untainted water. Oops.

Black*Star groaned uncharacteristically quietly as he lifted himself off the ground, using only the strength of his forearms. What had _that_ been all about? What was Patti thinking? How had she dared to push someone as godlike…as…

Black*Star's heart fluttered to a stop as Maka's eyes fluttered open. She had steeled herself for a jarring impact, but not enough of one, apparently. Her head felt sort of…fuzzy. She felt so _warm._ And there was a strange taste in her mouth…sweet, and slightly tangy, and…

_Shit!_ Her eyes slammed shut, but it was too late. Black*Star had seen. _She_ had seen.

The next moment ranked in the top ten most infamous moments of Shibusen. For in that moment, Black*Star defied all that is good, rational, canon, and non-detrimental to Spirit Albarn's not dying before turning 40 by taking Maka's first kiss on the Shibusen cafeteria floor.

He was _enthusiastic_ about it too.

Tsubaki unfortunately saw all, for her eyes had opened when she felt the rush of two bodies falling to the floor beside her. She had locked eyes with Patti, but that had been no damage – Nyne was not designed to make one desire contrary to their biological urges. The first male she saw was Black*Star, but only his broad back, currently acting as Maka's personal canopy and then-what? What the FUCK? Was he…he was fucking kissing MAKA! Knowing what had happened yet not caring anyways, she stood up on legs that wouldn't stay still and tottered past them. Tears were falling. She didn't _fucking_ care. She was going to keep her head down and until she got home and then sleep for a week because she sure as hell didn't want to look at anyone else or see _them_ together or-

Tsubaki had forgotten that she was still taller than about ¾ of the school, so looking down would not avail her if she bumped into someone slightly shorter than her. It was indicative of fate that Death the Kid was the perfect height for this maneuver. Fate was proven when _he_ was the one Tsubaki pushed herself into in her haste to escape, and whose eyes she met while under the influence of Nyne. Yet her luck was not like her technician's; her hands were just beginning to grip his shoulders when he moved past her in order to keep Soul from emasculating Black*Star in front of the entirety of Shibusen. Even though he was no longer in her grasp, however, she could still feel the texture of his jacket under her palms, and his golden eyes in her mind. Tsubaki sighed, ire forgotten. She had never noticed how _delectable_ Kid was…

Liz had had enough. She had just watched all her friends – save for Kid, _who dwelt there all the time_ she reasoned darkly – enter hormonal _insanity_ and she was going to stand for none of it. Gesturing to Patti, she commanded her as only older sisters can do to bring them to order.

Giggling, Patti complied. She leapt between Soul, who was apparently trying to gouge out Black*Star's eyes with his scythearm and Black*Star, who was trying to get back to Maka, who was huddled on the ground behind Soul, clutching her knees. Kid restrained Black*Star as well as he could, but the passions of the gods are almost impossible to deny, and his hold was slipping. Patti knew only one technique could work against Black*Star, and luckily, she was just the woman to go through with it. Dancing nimbly in front of Black*Star, she gave him a cheeky smile, and then kicked him as hard as she could. Between the legs.

Black*Star felt the kick as keenly as any ardorous man would, and sank to the floor. Defeat. For now. He would pursue this sudden and immensely powerful attraction to his oldest friend another time, but for now, the lancing pain in his previously engorged member was summoning all his attention, until even that was replaced by the cool, sweet dark of oblivion.

The six remaining conscious friends all looked at each other, afraid to move for what madness might ensue, until Tsubaki sidled up beside Kid and laid a tentative hand on his shoulder. Her thumb engaged in a slow sweep against his collarbone, and Kid eyed her hand like he would a small, asymmetrical insect. Patti made to glare at her but Soul's hand on _her_ shoulder stopped her. He was breathing heavily, and for once, looked almost as frightening as her.

"What…the hell…is going…_on?"_

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**Incomprehension and Reflection, Secrets Are Kept: Day 1, part 2**

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"So let me get this straight." Soul inhaled a ragged breath and tried to find a calm, happy place. Absolutely impossible, but it was good to try. "Black*Star, Tsubaki, Patti and Maka are fucking drugged with this Nyne shit, and are going to be behaving like fucking lunatics for the next _week?_ Whose bright idea was _that?"_

Everyone turned to look at Maka, who shakily held up her hand after a moment of inner denial. She still hid her face in her knees, but as she was behaving herself and had not tried to jump Black*Star's fallen form every thirty seconds, they had allowed her to their council. They had commandeered Stein's empty room after the briefest of explanations, and having deposited Black*Star and Tsubaki (under strict orders from Kid to _not let__Black*Star escape)_ in Chrona's old room, continued to break the madness down. Patti was present as well, as she had supplied the Nyne, but only as long as her passion remained passive. She was currently in Kid's lap, playing with his jawline. For Patti, this was passive enough.

Soul tried to bolster his frustration, and not think about Maka's potential plans with the love drug. Just who had she been trying to seduce? Shinigami, he hoped it wasn't actually Black*Star. "Maka? Care to explain?"

Maka shook her head mournfully. Her mortification was acting as a shield against her now nearly ungovernable desires, but her loyalty exceeded even that. She couldn't give up Tsubaki now, not when she had locked lips with the boy/man/kissing demon that Tsubaki had been in love with forever. She groaned, hating herself on most, if not all, levels.

Soul growled. Maybe it _was_ for Black*Star… "Maka, this is _important._ Cooperate, damnit!"

"Um, here. Let me try to explain." Liz coughed importantly, and effectively procured Maka and Tsubaki's goodwill for at least the next three years. "What I _believe_ happened was this: Maka was asked by an extremely frustrated friend for some Nyne. So she asks around a bit-"

Soul grimaced. He couldn't help it. Maka _asked around_ for Nyne? What was this world coming to?

Liz continued after a sharp glare in Soul's direction. "-and eventually, word gets to Patti _who apparently deals Nyne-"_ the sharp glare intensified, and moved from Soul to her sister. Patti steadfastly ignored it, much more fascinated by Kid's stubble collection. "…And so we come to lunch. Patti brings the stuff, and decides on her own that we all should, and I quote, 'get some.' " Kid frowned, but Liz was nearing the finish line, and he let her continue on. "Patti distributes the poison, and then you guys get here. Now, I'm pretty convinced that it wasn't really meant for _any_ of us, Patti just got a little excited. I mean, Maka tried to leave the table with her glass, probably to go deliver it to whoever. But then…yeah. You all know the rest." Liz congratulated herself for her quick save, and for whatever had been running through Maka's mind when she cravenly attempted to run away. Hopefully, Tsubaki's secret would be kept safely hidden away in the obscenity of this disaster.

Kid looked positively disgruntled. "I hope you know that this poison wouldn't even affect me. If alcohol doesn't, I don't see why this would. So clearly it couldn't have been for all of us…"

"It wasn't for _any_ of us, Kid! And anyways. Patti didn't pour you a glass, so I think you're fine, Kiddo." _Patti wouldn't have forgotten that_, Liz silently contradicted herself. _What are you up to?_

Soul furrowed his eyebrows. "So if it wasn't meant for any of us, why did Tsubaki drink? That's not like her. At all."

Maka and Liz froze. Uh oh. Busted. Yet salvation came from an unexpected corner. Patti left Kid's jawline alone for a blessed three seconds, and smiled hugely at Soul.

"Aha, that was me! I told her if she knew what was good for her, _she'd drink."_

Everyone (including Kid. _Especially _Kid) shivered. Ahh, danger!Patti to the rescue…

Soul ground his forehead into his palms, praying that he'd wake up, and this would all be over soon. "Kid, aren't you a little too calm about this? I mean, you have Patti and Tsubaki in love with you for a week. Doesn't that worry you?" _Think about how dangerous and talented those two girls are, dude,_ Soul silently continued. _I mean, unless you're into that kind of thing…_

Kid sniffed, eerily calm. "I don't see why it's so terrible. Although they are asymmetrical, it's no worse than Liz and Patti…and besides. Shouldn't _you_ be the one who's worried? Black*Star is going to come on strong to your technician, and unfortunately, she's going to welcome it."

"N-no I'm not," Maka supplied weakly, "I can't. I _won't_." She lifted her head from her knees, and tried to fix Kid and Soul with her most quelling gaze. "I'm stronger than that."

"Stronger than Black*Star? We all saw how easily he overcame you in the cafeteria." Kid shifted Patti in his lap. "It's not your fault Maka. But we have to protect you, especially as you might not _want_ to fight it when he's in the same room as you." He thought for a moment. "And conscious."

"No, wait. You don't understand I-"

Soul stood up abruptly, startling Maka into silence. He tried to glare everywhere but her, but she caught his anger and misunderstood. "Look, there's no time for this now. I'll call you guys later and we'll work out a plan. I'll take Maka somewhere safe. Kid, you gonna' be ok handling Tsubaki?"

Kid nodded, and Patti giggled at the movement of his stubble under her palms. Kid was thankful for his Shinigami skin that couldn't blush.

"Good. See if she'll do something about Black*Star. We'll see you guys later then. Maka? Let's go."

Kid waited until Maka had shuffled out behind her weapon – for once, not brazenly in the lead – before he turned to Liz with a severe look on his face. "Alright, the truth. Let's have it."

Liz winced. She knew it was almost impossible for her to lie to her technician. "You can't tell anyone, ok?"

Kid huffed, clearly annoyed. "Elizabeth, this is an extremely delicate situation, and two women are suddenly and inexplicably in love with _me._ I know you're lying, and I have a right to know what happened. Whether or not I tell anyone or act on the information is up to my discretion, although I'll _try_ to preserve all our precarious relationships. Regardless, this next week is going to be extremely difficult."

"Just tell him onee-chan. He might be able to help us."

"Fine." Liz drew in a deep breath. "So…Tsubaki wanted the Nyne for uh, training purposes-"

"Tsubaki is in love with Black*Star, yes," Kid surmised. He looked affronted when Liz stared at him in shock. "What? It's not like it's-oh, just continue."

Liz looked him askance but complied. "Yeah. So she wanted it, and Maka knew someone who had it, so she put a request through this person and Patti turns up with it, and the rest you already know. She decided we all needed it-"

"Well, not you so much, nee-chan. And I didn't really mean to drink it, I drank out of the glass Soul set down right before the accident, and that must have been Maka's because there was Nyne in it." She hung her head when her companions' glares became too much for even her. "Ok, so it was not my finest hour. But I wanted it to work for Black*Star and Tsubaki. Aaaaaaaand I figured it wouldn't be so bad if Soul and Maka drank as well."

"So did they? He had the glass, right?" Both girls looked at Kid, confused.

"Wait, what?"

"Soul! Did he drink? He must have had her glass if you said he set it down for you."

The trio of asymmetric doom stared at each other, the ramifications of this idea compounding in their heads. As one, they shook their heads. The thought of Soul in love with Maka, in love with Black*Star who was back in love with her, instead of Tsubaki who now was in love with Kid…it was too much. Whatever the truth was, they simply did not want to know.

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…

"Who'd Tsubaki want to Nyne?"

Making a sound frighteningly akin to a drowning mongoose, Maka promptly fell off the futon she had been so precariously perched upon. They had been "home" for less than five minutes – home being Soul's emergency pad when he acted as Death Scythe; they figured this was the safest option as Black*Star didn't know it even existed– when Soul dropped the bomb on her, although perhaps she should be thankful that he was speaking at all. The ride home had been silent, awkward, and for once far too long for Maka's personal comfort. Usually she liked riding behind Soul on his bike. Not today. For a _lot_ of reasons.

Picking herself up, she tried to play it off. "Why on _earth_ would Tsubaki try to Nyne someone? I mean it's not like she'd need to. And this is Tsubaki!"

"Yeah. Uh huh. You just fell off the couch."

"That proves nothing."

Silence.

"I'm clumsy!"

More silence.

"I'm not going to answer this." To distract herself from his intractable silence, she let her eyes rove around his apartment. She had been there once before, helping him move the spare mattress into his room, but hadn't remembered it as quite so bleak. Perhaps she had assumed he would fill it up and make it more lived in, but he still spent most of the year at their apartment in town. Apart from the futon and a tv, the room was depressingly bare. The kitchen wasn't stocked, and the dishes looked like they hadn't been used in months. She assumed his bedroom was just as stark.

"Maka."

Against her will, her eyes flew to his, and the beating of her heart grew to a slow yet steadily pounding crescendo. She had thought her attraction to his blood-red eyes and his unlikely thatch of white hair – not to mention the shark teeth, sleek nose, long fingers, and slim build - to be bad before, but now it was so much worse. The urge to leap into his arms had been present since she hit puberty, but now…_oh shinigami, save me from myself._

Having uttered her name Soul found he had nothing else to say. She was here with him in the _other_ apartment, the one that his duties demanded, and while he had inwardly decided that this place would be the haven of all that is manly it now felt so _good_ to have her here. Damn him for being possessive, but he liked the notion that she needed his help, and only his help. Yet this was a dangerous line of thought. At the moment, she was in love with Black*Star, and he needed to keep himself and his dangerous feelings in line. Now, if only she would stop looking so damn forlorn and adorable…

"I'm sorry, Soul. I didn't want for all this to happen…I'm sorry I thought of the Nyne, and got tackled, and am imposing on you. I'm sorry-"

"Enhhhh, shut it Maka. We live together anyway." He grinned his crooked, sharp-toothed signature grin. "Anyways, it's been a long time since I've kicked Black*Star's ass…I've been hard up for a good fight." He told himself that his erratic heartbeat was not because of Maka's shaky smile, and gestured her into the kitchen. It was late, and he was pretty sure he didn't have any food, but he figured he should offer her something, nonetheless. Maybe he had some graham crackers or something somewhere…

Thankfully, she wasn't hungry either. They gave each other mirthful smiles, yet it was hard to laugh at themselves when the sexual tension between them was becoming a serious concern. Especially when he realized he didn't have a toothbrush for her. For a moment, all their previous years of protocol went completely out the window, and he was absolutely stunned at the revelation that he could offer her his toothbrush, resulting in their most physically intimate and possessive action up to date. Yet her practicality sidestepped all this, she charmingly held up her index finger and declared herself satisfied. Soul fought down a momentary (yet frightening) rumble of thwarted desire, and like the cool gentlemen he was, allowed her to use the bathroom first. Maybe now karma would ensure she wouldn't shower…

She didn't. She was out of the bathroom in minutes, even before he'd had a chance to dress the futon with blanket and pillow. Her hair was down, but she had made no other move to undress, obviously waiting for him to go to bed.

"Thanks, Soul. We can head to the apartment and get some stuff tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. Oh, uh…you know where the bedroom is, right? I'll see you in the morning then." He continued arranging the blanket.

For a moment, Maka thought he meant their bedrooms at home, and was seriously confused. She didn't get it until he sat down on the futon and looked up at her, patiently. "No, Soul, I'll sleep on the futon. You sleep in your bed."

"Nope. You're the guest, you get the bed."

Oh shinigami no, how could he ask her to sleep in _his_ bed? Did he not know what the smell of him did to her? Well no, he probably didn't, but still. Wasn't this improper somehow? "Soul, c'mon, it's your _bed._ I'll be fine on the futon."

Soul understood and misunderstood. He realized she was uncomfortable about sleeping in his bed, but not for the correct reason. He sighed. He hadn't thought himself to be repugnant. "Maka, I've slept in that bed…twice. About half a year ago. I assure you, it's perfectly safe. Anyways, you're the one who needs rest. Just think of what your "gentleman caller" might do in school tomorrow."

Maka blanched, and that was it. She hadn't thought that far ahead yet…calling out a soft goodnight as she padded to the bedroom, she wondered how on earth she was going to manage tomorrow. She sighed in relief as the door clicked shut behind her. Finally, some peace and privacy in which she could impose some order on her unruly thoughts. Pulling up the warm comforter around her knees, she began.

Article #1: After all this was over and she could think straight again, she was going to round up all the Nyne in the world, and burn it.

Article #2: The next time she saw Tsubaki, she was going to fall to her knees, and beg Tsubaki for forgiveness. Repeat procedure as many times as she felt necessary, or was forgiven.

Article #3: Procure comfortable clothes. Her blouse buttons were uncomfortable, and she sure as hell wasn't lying naked in Soul's bed. She would just have to suffer through it tonight, unless that large and rather promising looking chest of drawers might hold a t-shirt or two…

Success! Reasoning to herself that he hadn't worn it in months, she slipped out of her blouse and into a red and black striped t-shirt that a) didn't smell like its owner; and b) was without buttons. All right. Back to business.

Article #4: Fallout damage. Word was going to spread, and her father was going to hear all about it. Maybe not from Stein, who had always taken pleasure in baiting her father (Maka encouraged this wholeheartedly) but from _someone_. She would have to explain calmly, and maturely, and then request that Shinigami-sama take Death Scythe on a mission. Preferably, one far, far away, that would last for the next decade or so.

Maka squirmed as she approached the final two articles. They were the most important, and by far the most uncomfortable to even think about. Yet they were not going to go away if ignored, and she needed to be prepared. Otherwise…chaos. Total chaos.

Article #5: Black*Star. Maka moaned as she remembered the cafeteria incident. He had _kissed_ her! In front of everyone! Tsubaki and Soul! Gah! She blushed as she remembered the feel of his lips over hers, so warm and willing and forceful. He was so _powerful._ She had been far too shocked to move and had taken the kiss, even though it had felt like his lips were searing off her skin. It had not been pleasant, but that was only to be expected. After all, during her fall she had-

No, not yet. Everything in order. Now, think about battle plans. What are you going to do when Black*Star comes bounding up to you tomorrow? How are you going to hold him off? Maka grimaced. Maka Chops could only do so much…and Kid was right when he had mentioned that Black*Star would physically overcome her. But Maka was Black*Star's oldest friend, and she hoped that would count for something. And Tsubaki would probably hold him back, wouldn't she? She still loved him, right? Or did Nyne erase any former feelings? Maka sincerely hoped not. She had always assumed Black*Star would realize that he was in love with his partner someday, and she didn't want to think that this idiotic misadventure would end all chance of that forever. She shook her head. What to do, what to do…She could talk Soul into taking a longer-term mission. Maybe hunting for kisshin references in Venice? Somewhere exotic, distracting, and far from home. It felt a little like running away, but it would help out with Article #6, she hoped. Unless it absolutely wrecked it.

Article #6: At all costs, do not let anyone find out that _she wasn't actually in love with Black*Star. _No one could know that she had locked eyes with another – apparently – before she had been mauled by the overenthusiastic ninja. It had all been so chaotic, so fragmented, that she was fairly sure _he_ didn't realize she had first seen him. And she wasn't so worried about her actions giving her amore away. After all, she'd only been in love with him for oh, say the last year-and-a-half? Give or take another two?

She respected Nyne's power – it was as if all emotions had been amplified by a seductive amount. But she had been holding in her rampant emotions for her best friend, flatmate and weapon for a long time now, using soul resonance in just about _every goddamn battle_, and if that didn't take serious strength and willpower, she didn't know what did. She could manage this Nyne business, and with a little luck, she could even avoid Black*Star's ardor. If not, well…she supposed there were worse prices to pay for Soul being kept oblivious as to the true nature of her unchanged feelings for him.

Besides. It wasn't everyday that Soul could indulge in his overly protective nature without facing death or serious injury. Maka managed a small grin as she fell into slumber – as long as no one knew she was (still) in love with Soul, this Nyne thing might be manageable after all…

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**So…yeah. Slightly revised version, with nothing seriously new and exciting added. However, can we have a round of applause for songstar13 who is amazing and beta'd this? I think we should. Thanks Song!**

**Thanks also to those who informed me of mistakes prior to this – Liz referring to Patti as nee-chan comes to mind – and sorry it took me so long to fix everything!**


	2. Day 2

**Hello. I'm super sorry for the long wait, but it is November, the last month before I have to get my grad school applications in. I have two (2) projects for a sociology class (that is kicking my ass) and I have to learn the Bartok Concerto and convince my lesson teacher that I'm not an utter failure. This equals not a lot of time to write. Please do not hate, and enjoy what little I give you! **

…**On reflection, I realize I have written 9,000 words. This is kind of a lot. So hating is not allowed, haha.**

** Don't. Own. SoulEater.**

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**Decisions, Disasters, and Drag Queens**: **Day 2**

Even before he opened his eyes, Soul knew this was not going to be a good day. For one thing, he had slept the awkward sleep of displacement, and his body was sore. His legs were cramped, his left arm was asleep, and his neck seriously needed to be cracked. Yet his desire to shift and find relief was currently warring with another desire, (and another reason he was dubious as to the positive nature of the day) which was to not attract Maka's attention, who was currently busy in the kitchen. Frankly, he was surprised and grateful that she hadn't noticed it yet - the blanket had fallen to the floor in the middle of the night, and his boxers hung tightly on his hips. If she waltzed just a little closer, she was going to see something very alert and _very _happy to see her.

_Not that it's because of her,_ he told himself. _It's just morning wood. It's not because I heard Maka shuffling around and preparing breakfast in my dream. And humming, contentedly and domestically. Nope. Just morning wood. _ _And-_

The sound of Maka approaching made his sad denial irrelevant, and he quickly sat up to hide the tent in his boxers. Maka looked surprised to see him so suddenly lively, and set down one of the full plates of graham crackers, peanut butter, and sausage she carried. She brushed off his incredulous look.

"Don't look at me! This is all you had. We'll have to go shopping later." She plopped down beside him on the couch, and Soul pulled his legs hastily away. The position was slightly uncomfortable, but he could bear it. It was better than her noticing, at any rate.

"Annnnnnd I sort of figured we should make a plan before going outside, so uh…" Maka managed a weak smile and looked over hesitantly. She fiddled with her fingers, and Soul had to mentally command himself not to smile, or take her hand in his own. Damn. This might be harder than he thought.

"Well then. Itadakimasu." He crunched down on a graham cracker, and sighed when he saw that she wasn't eating. She was still staring at him, and he simply couldn't have that. Not right now. "Maka?"

"Oh! Yeah, itadakimasu!" She bent her head to apply herself to a cracker, but Soul wasn't fooled. Girls and their need to hash things out…

"What's wrong, Maka."

"Hmm?" She attempted to look innocent and confused, but Soul wasn't fooled.

"Are you really worried about it? You don't think I can protect you?" He tried not to wince at how possessive and intimate that sounded. He said it often for he was a most badass Death Scythe and she was his reckless, fearless technician, but the current context changed the playing field so that he was just a man, and she a woman. A woman he secretly desired. Damn this Nyne shit and all the difficulties it produced!

Maka's eyes widened as she sought to reassure her partner. Truthfully, she hadn't even been thinking about that…_too_ much. She had been far more distracted by the fact that although they sat next to each other on the couch just about everyday, and had certainly been in closer proximity to each other than this, she was currently obsessed with the smell of him, the shift of his lithe limbs, the shocking white of his hair, and the red of his sleepy eyes. Also, the fact that he may or may not have had a boner when she sat down next to him.

"No…no, I know you can protect me." She tried not to blush as she admitted this. His protective impulses were par for the course by this point, he had spent the last couple years fighting alongside her, after all. It was only in her treacherous mind that the words warped into something provocative. "I just feel bad for Tsubaki and Kid and all…I mean, I guess I _am_ a little worried, but not about…" Maka struggled for a word that would not compromise her unflinching honesty, "…my situation. I'm just worried about whether or not we're all going to have to go on a mission or something."

Soul nodded. He had thought about that too, briefly, as he laid awake last night. He had started out by wondering what it would be like resonating with Maka now that she was…under the influence…for someone, and that had led to missions, and working together, and everyone else involved. Since Medusa had died and Asura had been (presumably) locked away once more, he didn't envision any particular difficulties, but since Spartoi (minus Kilik, Harvar and Jackie) was laid low by Nyne, he couldn't help but worry. Not that there weren't others to handle a potentially dangerous situation if it popped up, but even everyday missions could be a threat if Maka suddenly began lusting after Black*Star. He didn't want to articulate his thoughts or emotions, but he suspected that hiding his one-sided love for his partner would be next to impossible if he could feel her attraction to someone else through their link.

"Soul-kun! Maka-chan! Soul-kun, are you two there?" Both heads swiveled towards the bathroom. Maka had forgotten this pad was to be used in conjunction with Shinigami-sama, and for a moment had panicked, thinking Black*Star had somehow found them. Of course Shinigami-sama would know where they were. His was the soul of Shibusen, after all…

Soul swung himself over the side of the couch with nary a grumble. The situation in his pants had settled down, yet the urge to push Maka down and ravish her was becoming a little too seductive to ignore. She _was_ wearing his shirt, after all. How in hell was he supposed to ignore something like that? He heard Maka jump up after him, and together they made their way to the bathroom. Motioning her to wait, he stepped in the bathroom, and bowed his head respectfully at the mirror. "Hey Shinigami-sama. You called?" His eyes searched the space behind Shinigami-sama for Maka's ridiculous father. That was the last thing he needed right now…overprotective fathers trying to get near what he couldn't help but consider _his_ to protect.

"Good morning Soul-kun! And Maka-chan, if she is there. Spirit has not yet returned from a mission, and would have liked for me to pass on morning greetings, _if she's there_." Soul wondered how the masked shinigami could impart so much meaning into his words. Especially when you never saw his face…He grinned wryly and opened the door for Maka to come in. She bade him good morning, but didn't say much else; she was embarrassed, knowing that Kid would have told his father everything.

"So! You all had a big day yesterday, I understand. Well, these things happen. And as I wouldn't break up the dream teams of Spartoi for anything, I have a proposition for you!" He leaned in closer to the mirror, a parody of a whisper. "How would you like to go on a mission with Spirit and Stein tonight? It would take several days to complete, and you would work independently from your elders for the most part. Might take you out of range of unwanted suitors. Soul-kun? What do you say?"

Soul froze. Why did he ask him? And right now, of all times? He was already torn between what he wanted and what he felt was safe, and now there was _this_ to augment his dilemma. On the one hand, he could take Maka far away from Black*Star, and that was an obvious plus. Yet he would have to fight with Maka, and (potentially) deal with the emotional fallout. Also, Maka's father was there, and would probably smother her even more now that she was under some magical influence. But Stein would be there, and if anyone could handle Maka's overeager father, it was him.

"May we talk it over? When do you need our response?" It had taken only a glance for Maka to realize her partner wasn't going to answer, and so she had taken the initiative. Soul glanced sharply at her, but her gaze stayed trained on the mirror. She didn't know how to feel about all this, and didn't want him to see her confusion.

"Of course, Maka-chan! You have until after school, yes? Excellent. Just clear it with Stein-kun, ok? Ta-ta!"

The two teens stared at the empty mirror. They could both feel the swirl of confusion, and were unsure where to start. Finally, Maka snuck a glance over at Soul, hating herself for this unwelcome hesitancy that was now undermining her life. She was not prepared for what she saw. Blazing red eyes glared angrily down into the sink, where his innocuous toothbrush and toothpaste resided; clearly the anger was directed within. Or was he angry with her? She knew him better than to expect him to direct his anger at her; unless the situation was life or death, he was a firm believer in keeping one's emotions to themselves.

"Soul?" Maka whispered, and promptly felt stupid for not speaking in a normal volume. Especially when he looked at her, clearly still emotional. Yet it was no longer anger, and that at least was good. Something else simmered in his eyes, something that made her heart pound and breath quicken.

Soul had been interrupted in the middle of an awkward daydream where they stayed, and Black*Star somehow found a way to woo Maka. Alone. Persuasively. Naked. It took him a moment to reign in his anger, despair, and then hopeless longing. For what felt like the 10th time that morning, he cursed Nyne and the misbegotten witch that invented it. "Yeah?"

"Well, what do you think?" The maddening look in his eyes had still not quite passed, and she was a little too awed to say anything else. Awed and focused on not pushing his back against the wall and having her desperate way with him.

"I think it's time to get ready for school."

Maka started at the unexpected statement. "Uh…but about-"

"Enh, we'll talk about it soon. We should go to school first though. How else are we going to find out everything we don't know about Nyne? You gotta' talk to your contact."

Maka's eyes widened. How could she had forgotten about that? Besides the brief overview given by Patti, they really didn't know much. Side effects, whether the effects would increase incrementally over time, or whether there was a way to shake it off…Smiling crookedly at her partner (she had picked up on his gestures long, long ago) she turned to get ready for school. He let her go, but his question that trailed after her as she left the bathroom made her pause.

"Oh yeah…and you don't have any extra big books, do you?"

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…

"MAAAAKAAAAAAAAAAA!" The call resounded throughout all of Shibusen, and several younger students who hadn't heard Spirit's battle cry shrieked and looked around desperately, sure they were under attack. No such luck. Maka cringed, and shut her locker. Next to her, Soul sighed as he pushed back against the locker he had been slouching against, propelling him to stand at attention. So. Spirit had come back to Shibusen.

"MAAAAAKAAAAAAAAAA!" The man in question careened around the corner, and in less time than Maka thought was possible he raced up to them, panting and disheveled. Of course, Spirit did not wait until he reached them to begin his eccentric parenting techniques, giving Maka and Soul plenty of time to prepare their tomes.

"Maka my _darling_ I've heard everything and I promise Papa will protect-"

"Maka-chop!" Looking rather like a disgruntled tomato, Maka strode away from her stunned father. Soul trailed bemusedly in her wake. At the last moment he had decided to let Maka have the honors. After all, it _was_ her father. Besides, Spirit was far from out for the count, and if the man didn't watch himself, he'd get a Soul-chop after all.

"Maaaakaaaaaaaaa…" Spirit whined as he scuttled behind his daughter, absent-mindedly rubbing at the large swelling on his head. "Maka, don't run away! Please, at least tell me who-" Spirit glanced to the side and glared at Soul. "It's not this _miscreant, _is it?"

Maka walked faster. Soul sneered back at Spirit, unable to quite manage the haughty sarcasm he usually employed. "Oh, wouldn't that make your day. But no, unfortunately, it's not me."

Maka's heart skipped a beat, and her left foot nearly did the same. Her traitorous mind replayed his words, and although she knew Soul was only torturing her father, that didn't stop the echo in her brain. _Unfortunately, it's not me. Unfortunately…unfortunately. _Gah! If she didn't find a way to lessen the effect of Nyne, she was going to go insane! With lust! And quite possibly with the stupidity of everyone and everything around her!

"Oh? But-but if it's not you, then who is it?" If Spirit had been worried before, now he was almost terrified. It was one thing for Maka to be in the arms of her weapon, who, as even Spirit would admit, lived and breathed for her. Although he personally hated the sarcastic, shark-toothed, pretty boy scythe, he knew he would protect Maka; partially because he was in love with her, although (thankfully) Maka hadn't seemed to pick up on that part yet.

Soul looked down at Maka, wondering at her reticence. She generally didn't let Soul and her father talk much; she preferred efficiency when she was dealing with her father. As in, efficiently ending all encounters before the two males could sprout their claws and begin to hiss at one another. Maka had become quite skillful at containing the natural disaster that was her father, but her skills did not encompass her current actions; that is, staring down at the floor and blushing like mad, twiddling her fingers nervously. Soul did not understand her reaction until some sixth sense urged him to look down the hall. He grimaced, but that soon curved into a grin. This could be interesting…

"Ah, Papa _Bastard_?" Soul waited a beat to let the man's face twist in rage, but charged ahead before he could protest. "Here's your chance to meet Maka's…_gentleman caller._ Perhaps you should be honored that your potential son-in-law ranks among the gods?"

Maka and her father fixed wild gazes at Soul, and he almost laughed at the incongruity of the situation. They had reacted simultaneously, although the expressions on their faces couldn't be more different. Spirit had gone white from shock, while Maka had turned crimson with rage. Although Soul didn't appreciate the situation any more than Maka did, he had a reputation to uphold, and snarky, subtle amusement was just the way to go about it. It was fortunate that he had long been on friendly terms with his masochistic side, as his long time crush was clutching her dictionary and looking at his forehead rather dangerously. Ah well. Physical pain was sure to offset his hormones, and make the sexual frustration just a tad more bearable.

By this time, Black*Star had noticed Maka, and cleared the hallway with several athletic bounds. Soul couldn't be quite sure, but he thought he heard Black*Star muttering something about "second rules" under his breath. Well. _That_ couldn't be good. Soul stepped in front of Maka to shield her from their friend, his resolve hardening even further when he noticed that her knuckles were white from gripping her dictionary. Like hell was he going to allow her to be molested-approached-_looked at_ by Black*Star, regardless of his friendship with him. Over protectiveness be damned, but Maka was _his _technician and-

He tensed as he saw the wild glitter in Black*Star's eyes, who was only a few short steps away. He either did not see Soul with his lust driven eyes, or disregarded him, for his step did not falter as Soul raised his scythe arm.

Black*Star stopped completely, however, after finding a longer, slightly less curved scythe arm at his neck. Soul was frozen as well, staring in wonder at the tableau before his eyes: with grim ease, Spirit had managed to slip behind the ninja, and momentarily hold him at bay. This was so at odds with how the Death Scythe normally presented himself that it took Maka two tugs on his human arm to get Soul moving. Then, without a backward glance, the two took off down the hallway, racing for Stein's – the only person still on sparring level with Black*Star- class. If they could just make it there, they (probably) wouldn't have to fight off their oldest friend.

Black*Star moved at the same moment, yet towards his new opponent, not his prey. His battle senses had been roused, and as they had been the guiding force for most of his life, they overpowered his lust. He had just shifted into attack formation, and was about to deliver a crippling blow when he found himself bound head to foot by a chain of shadow and steel.

"Black*Star! What have I told you about attacking faculty members?"

A chain that sounded an awful lot like Tsubaki. Balance lost, Black*Star toppled to the floor. The girl transformed back before he could struggle and entwine them further, and with her sternest expression (which could frighten a ladybug, maybe) continued to scold him. "I can't believe you, Black*Star! Waiting until I had to use the ladies room to go chase after Maka…didn't I make you promise this morning to behave yourself?"

Her technician blatantly ignored her in favor of sneering at Spirit, who had lost his will to kill now that a lady was present. He still was scowling magnificently though, and mouthing threats that Black*Star didn't care enough to fully decipher. "…_can't have _my_daughter…miscreant…end you if you come near…"_

Black*Star stood up suddenly, taking both Tsubaki and Spirit by surprise. He extended a hand to his weapon, but reserved his gaze for Spirit, who uncharacteristically refused to be cowed. As soon as Tsubaki was standing behind him, he stalked close to the Death Scythe, speaking low enough so the awestruck students watching them couldn't overhear.

"Listen, old man. I'm Black*Star, the one who has surpassed the gods. You're just Maka's sorry excuse for a father. You won't tell me what to do and what not to do." He strode past Spirit, absurdly pleased that he was finally taller than him. Even Soul wasn't taller than Spirit, although the two men were eye to eye. Only Black*Star was, if that didn't allow him to chase after Maka, he didn't know what did.

…

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…

…

By the time Black*Star arrived, protective measures had been taken. Soul had positioned himself to the right of Maka, with Kim and Jacqueline on her left, and Ox and Harvar in front. Kid, Liz and Patti sat behind them. Yet all of that was for naught. Maka could have enlisted the entirety of Shibusen to surround her, but it wouldn't have helped. After Black*Star's provocative encounter with her father, absolutely nothing would stand in between Black*Star and the unexplainable charms of Maka Albarn.

Nothing, perhaps, save a direct order from the goddess herself. Before Black*Star had taken more than two steps into the classroom, Maka stood up and for the first time in her entire academic career, voluntarily interrupted a class. "Black*Star? Ano, would you please sit over there today?" She pointed to a seat all the way across the room. Everyone save Soul stared at Maka in shock – not only was her query utterly surprising, but the manner in which she asked as well. No one else had seen Maka handle her father when she had a favor to ask of him, and so they hadn't known Maka was able to blush and fidget as she just had. Even Stein-sensei needed a moment to adjust.

Yet it was effective. Proud that Maka had acknowledged him before the entire class, Black*Star made his way to the allotted seat with a minimum of fuss, to everyone's relief. The look he shot Maka as he sat down, however, was another matter. Only Soul could see Maka's hands grip the desk and her lips thin as she noticed Black*Star's determined, lustful gaze.

"Ahum. If I may continue?" Stein turned back to the blackboard and resumed the lecture, for once not focusing on possible methods to dissect rare creatures. As soon as he stopped staring directly at them, Kim leaned over to whisper urgently to Maka.

"I am _so_ sorry…I should never have said anything. Are you all right? How did it all-" She leaned back for a moment as Stein turned his head, but resumed once he turned away. "How did it happen?"

Maka shook her head. She didn't think she could explain anything with Black*Star's heated glance still in mind. "I don't know. Honestly. I think we must have angered the Gods of Love or something, and they're finally cashing in on revenge." Maka remembered Patti's face as she poured the Nyne. "Or the Gods of Chaos, I'm not really sure."

Kim looked sympathetic. "I'll say. Did it at least work out for your friend?"

Maka very carefully looked up at the ceiling, the only place she figured was safe, at the moment. "I couldn't even get it to them. Shit hit the fan before we could meet up."

Kim decided to ignore Maka's terrible lie. She figured that she really didn't need to make Maka's life any harder. "Ah. Well uh, I overheard Soul talking about you had some questions about Nyne…can I help?"

Maka shook off her lethargy. Good, finally some knowledge to center herself with. "Please. I think we've got the basics – makes you desire the first person you lock eyes with. And we definitely understand the symptoms. But-"

Kim looked positively guilty. "Uh…about the symptoms…they get worse. Over time. Today is only day 2, right? The pull gets stronger every day. At least-" Kim looked around furtively, but no one else seemed to be paying attention. "Well, for us at least. And we're on day 5."

Maka's mouth fell open in shock. For once, she was glad that Soul had dozed off in class, assured that his technician would be safe for the hour. This was only going to get _worse?_ But…Ox didn't look to be doing too badly… "How are the two of you so calm then? I mean, you guys aren't jumping each other in class or anything…"

Kim blushed. "Well, part of it is enhancing your natural personality, and your romantic drive. Compared to Black*Star, Ox and I are pretty low-key. Same with you, and you're obviously having an easier time holding in your feelings. But unlike you guys, we're already dating, and so when things get…messy, we can just um. Yeah. You know. Yeah."

Maka closed her eyes tightly, praying that the mental image of Kim and Ox sexing would not etch itself in her brain. Partly to spare Kim further embarrassment, yet largely to save herself from permanent psychological disorder, she quietly blurted out the important question. "So does distance weaken the attraction?" Maka waited a few moments before looking over at her friend. "Do you know?"

Kim frowned, thinking. "Hmmm. I don't know. I haven't heard about a circumstance where lovers would want to be separated after taking it…" Her voice trailed off as she looked over at Black*Star, still blatantly staring at Maka.

Maka couldn't believe Kim would undergo a magical experience so lightly. It was against her nature to know so little about something like this. "So you don't know _anything_ about the mechanics of the magic? Anything at all that might help?"

The witch grimaced at that, understanding what Maka meant. "I looked into it a little before Ox and I tried it, but all I – and the witches who made it – could figure was that it was highly dependent on the emotions and personality of the individual who took it. So I guess it would depend on the person, like whether they're the type to love harder when removed from the crush, or to drop the attraction entirely. But we did figure out once thing…there's differences between couples who were already in love when they took it, and uh, random pairings."

Maka's heart thudded to a stop. "What are they?"

Kim chewed on her pencil as she pretended to pay attention to the lecture. "Um…It depends on the people involved, but generally those already in relationships have a more emotional experience, while for those who aren't it's more physical. And it tends to strengthen the pre-existing relationships after it wears off, while it doesn't seem to have too much effect afterwards on those who don't already love each other."

Stein was glaring at them. "Thanks Kim. I'll keep you posted," Maka whispered out of the side of her mouth. She sighed in relief. At least she didn't have to worry about Black*Star thinking he was in love with her when all this was over. This boded well for Tsubaki too; Maka couldn't imagine being in love with either Black*Star or Kid, let alone both. Speaking of Tsubaki…Maka looked around the room carefully, making sure not to look at Black*Star directly. Where was she? Maka hadn't been surprised when Tsubaki hadn't followed Black*Star into the classroom – the current situation was sure to strain even her freakishly saintly temper. She had assumed Tsubaki would come in later, waiting just long enough for the expected pandemonium to die down. Yet class was halfway over and she still wasn't here. That was strange.

Maka leaned down and quietly fished her cell phone out of her bag. Making sure to keep her hands below her desk, she texted the wayward weapon, asking where she was. A few minutes later came the response.

_Girl's bathroom, third floor._

_ R u ok?_

The response was much faster this time. _I think so._

Tsubaki admitting that something might possibly be wrong with her could mean a lot of things. Her period had come unexpectedly. She had lost a limb. Imminent death. What it did not mean was that she was in any way actually all right. And as Maka was her best (female) friend, Makawas not ok with that.

She didn't have a lot of options, however. It had been officially declared Black*Star mating season, and if she took one step out of the classroom, she was fair game. She couldn't drag Soul out to the girls bathroom with her, no matter how protective he was. (She understood the concept of the man card, although she generally thought it ridiculous, along with her partner's studious adherence to it and its principles). She glanced down at Harvar, wondering if there was a way to make him insane and start shooting off electricity (thereby ensuring her escape) but even as she realized that was a) impossible and b) Black*Star would probably catch her anyways; her gaze fell upon her violent suitor, and realized that she didn't need Harvar's help at all. All throughout class the ninja had sat with his back to Stein to better facilitate his Maka-watching, and that had not changed. What _had_ changed was that he no longer was sitting upright, intently staring at her.

He was sitting upright (if slightly tilted to the left) and was fast asleep. If Maka was to judge by the reactions of the people next to him, he was lightly snoring, as well. Maka quickly glanced at Soul, but her partner was out for the count, slumped over onto the table. She looked over again at Black*Star, torn between prudence and her feelings. This could be her one chance to talk to Tsubaki, openly and honestly, and beg for forgiveness as well. Yet Soul would kill her if she left the room unprotected; i.e., without him. Maka ground her teeth in frustration. All this wouldn't have happened if stupid Nyne hadn't been invented, and Patti hadn't pushed Black*Star, and Black*Star hadn't kissed her-

The next moment found Maka on her hands and knees behind her desk, crawling stealthily towards the exit. The remembrance had been too much for even her sense of caution, and she decided to do her duty towards her gentle friend. Besides, she had Volume 3 of _Shinigami's Book of Souls_ with her, and was definitely not afraid to use it. So she crept towards the doors, drawing strange yet mostly sympathetic looks from her classmates as she went. She felt oddly giddy the closer she came to her goal – she had never been one for shirking class, and so the excitement came as a total surprise. Was this how it felt when Soul and Black*Star cut class? No wonder they attempted it so often…

Maka was so focused on staying quiet and unseen that it took her several moments to realize that the class had fallen absolutely silent, and all members save the two fast asleep were staring at her. She was only a few steps from the door, in plain sight to everyone, but was still on her hands and knees. She grinned sheepishly at Stein, who looked back at her with his customary blank stare. The class held its breath.

Stein turned away, resuming his lecture. He waggled his hand at her, in an unmistakable shoo'ing motion. The class – and Maka – exhaled. Safe. The next moment found her racing down the hallways, up two flights of stairs, and closing in on the girl's room. Free at last.

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…

The rest of the class settled back into the lecture, no longer paying attention to the two apparently unconscious links of the love triangle. Only Death the Kid found anything suspicious about the situation. Maka being drawn from Soul's nigh-obsessive protection? Black*Star conveniently falling asleep at just the right moment (and…oh dear Father, was he _grinning_)? No one (else) caring about all this? Was he _surrounded_ by idiots? A quick glance to his left and right – Patti and Liz – assured him it was indeed so. Soul and Kim, however, were a different story. And Tsubaki's part (Kid wasn't sure whether it was direct or indirect, but in this instance, did it matter?) in this? He was disappointed indeed.

"Liz," he whispered. He would have leaned over but it would have disrupted the symmetry, and Patti's hand on his knee. He wasn't sure how he felt about Patti's touch, to be honest, but he knew from years of experience to let the younger sister have her way. Less bloodshed and all that.

Liz raised her eyebrows in response. She didn't look at him, but he hadn't expected her to. She was far too engrossed in the state of her cuticles.

"Maka just left the classroom."

"Mhhhm."

Kid was astounded. "Isn't that a problem?"

Liz paused to consider. "Is Black*Star still here?"

Kid hesitated. "Yes, but-"

"Then I don't see why it's a problem. Soul can just find Maka later through their soul chain." Liz smiled happily at the completion of another perfectly manicured nail.

"_Liz," _Kid growled. "Black*Star _smiled_ when she left. That can only mean one thing."

Liz's eyes narrowed. "It's a-"

"Trap!" Patti sang out gleefully, having followed along with the conversation. The class fell silent as Stein looked at her, obviously amazed.

"The Butler brothers did indeed lay a trap, Miss Thompson. I'm impressed that you knew that – and that you did the readings in the first place." Stein returned to the lecture, wishing the day would just _end _already.

Kid and Liz stared at Patti, wondering what she had done in a past life to acquire timing like that. She giggled at them cutely, and stroked Kid's knee. He tried not to twitch at the resulting sensations that traveled up his leg.

"So what do we do?" Action seemed like a wonderful idea right now. Anything at all, really. Moving and planning and doing would require Patti to stop her ministrations, and that would result in Kid being able to think objectively again, instead of obsessing on the shivering excitement her touch caused.

The two sisters looked at each other. Liz twirled a tube of mascara between her fingers and Patti began to unbutton her blouse overlay, revealing a snug tank top underneath. They grinned identical evil grins.

"Oh, I think we have an idea."

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…

"Tsubaki I'm so sorry! I didn't want-oh."

Maka stared in bewilderment at the Tsubaki in front of her. At least, she thought it was Tsubaki. The young woman in front of her possessed Tsubaki's build, and was wearing Tsubaki's clothes, right up to the tight topknot. Yet this Tsubaki was acting very un-Tsubaki-ish, in that she was sobbing in front of the mirror, and wearing what looked to be haphazardly applied war paint.

"Maka?" The Tsubaki gurgled. A fat tear slid down her cheeks, leaving streaks of color in its wake. "Um, I'm sorry you had to…see me…like this." She tried to contain her tears, but a fresh sob tore through her chest, and Maka was moved to compassion.

"Tsubaki?" Maka moved closer so she could hug her, now that she knew it was the real Tsubaki. "Tsubaki, what's wrong? What happened?" She was attempted to ask in more explicit terms about the paint factory that had apparently exploded somewhere in the immediate vicinity of Tsubaki's face, but knew it was not the time.

"I just…I tried…" Tsubaki swiped at her face almost angrily with a paper towel, smearing black smudge down her nose. "I wanted to look pretty for Kid!"

Maka blinked. She glanced down at the bathroom sink, and finally noticed the plethora of half-used cosmetics. Ahh, so that was it. Tsubaki had been experimenting with makeup, and judging by the ridiculous amount that was on her face, she had been determined to sample it all. She tried not to feel guilty as she wet the paper towel, and gently began to wipe off the offensive color caking Tsubaki's face. After all, if it wasn't for her, they wouldn't be in this position now.

"Really, Tsubaki, you don't need this stuff. You're absolutely beautiful without it."

At this, Tsubaki made a despairing gurgling sound, but Maka continued anyway.

"And besides, Kid isn't the sort of man to care about whether or not a girl wears makeup…think about it. No matter how evenly you applied it, it's going to smear or run or _something_, and then he would run off shrieking about how asymmetrical the world was." Maka reached for another paper towel, wetting it like the first.

Tsubaki's tears had slowed, but not yet stopped. "I know…but I was so excited to try something new. I mean, he never noticed me before, so I thought that maybe if I tried this, he would see me as a woman." She sniffed, clearly wanting to break down into fresh sobs, but Maka's grip on her chin kept her from dissolving.

"Well, we can talk to Liz after school and she can walk us through the whole process, ok?" She held up her hands when Tsubaki looked over at her with wild hope in her eyes. "I'm not promising anything, especially when it comes to Kid's feelings, but it's probably a good thing that we learn how to apply makeup properly." Maka fought down the urge to express one of a number of sarcastic thoughts swirling inside her brain, most being variants along the lines of:_ 1) Yeah, we never need to see this hot mess again. 2) Does Kid even _have_ romantical nerve receptors? 3) Oh, like you've not thought about doing just this to entice Soul… _To shake off the validity of that last thought, she hastily asked another, safer question. "Where did you get all this makeup, anyways?"

Tsubaki blushed deeply. "Er, I, uh…" She attempted intelligently. "It's mine."

Maka couldn't help it, her eyebrows lifted to her hairline. "What?"

Tsubaki grabbed some paper towel and began wiping herself, simultaneously erasing the last traces of makeup and hiding her embarrassment. "I just…I like to collect them, ok? I just like to look at them. And ," she finished in a rush, too ashamed to articulate.

Maka's shock softened. Who knew that Tsubaki had explored this aspect of her feminine side? The beautiful weapon had never expressed interest in anything save fighting, Black*Star, and mothering her friends and acquaintances. To Maka's knowledge, she had never said anything about wearing pretty clothes, or wearing makeup, or attracting male's (save Black*Star's) attention. Then again, neither had she, and she loved Soul just as much as Tsubaki did Black*Star. So maybe she shouldn't judge. After all, it's not like she knew what she was doing either…

Tsubaki suddenly stilled, a blank look creeping over her face. Maka's eyes widened. She knew that look; it was the look one got when their partner called them through their soul link…The two girls gasped in tandem, and began moving towards the door.

"Maka - Black*Star is coming!"

"What? How! Class won't be over for another ten minutes!"

"Stein must have released them early. You have to run, I think he knows you're with me."

"But Soul-" Maka was interrupted by the bathroom door opening inward, almost flying off its hinges. She shifted her grip on her bag, prepared to swing it at the intruder's head, but found that her battle reflexes were no match for Black*Star's when he tore the bag out of her hands within milliseconds of entry. Maka called for Tsubaki, willing her friend to take weapon form, but Black*Star was between them before either girl could react. The next thing Maka knew, Black*Star had hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, shoved Tsubaki back into the girl's bathroom, and had taken off down the hallway.

"Maka!" Maka heard Tsubaki yell for her but her friend had regained her balance too late – Black*Star had just reached the stairwell and he was _oh Shinigami going to jump-_

"Ahhh!" Maka shrieked as Black*Star jumped down two flights of stairs in one go, twisting her onto the opposite shoulder in midair as he spun over the banister separating them. Now, Maka was a brave warrior woman with nerves of steel who had faced down witches and clowns and insanity itself, but finding oneself propelled madly through the air by Black*Star _while he himself was completely suspended in midair _was enough to make anyone screech. Well, that or having a fairly detailed idea of what he wanted to do to you would. By now, however, she had recovered enough to begin pounding her fists on his broad back. Unfortunately, it was like attempting to hurt a tree.

"Black*Star, put me down! Right now! Wherever we are going I can walk there, I assure you!" In her panic, Maka reverted to the language of a heroine in one of her favorite novels. Sassy, self-assured, and utterly without fear, if slightly incorrect syntactically. The fact that her heart was smashing against her ribcage belied her words, but she hoped he couldn't feel it through his layers of muscle. Shinigami, when had Black*Star become so hulking and strong?

"Maka!" Maka paused her feeble attempts to injure Black*Star when she heard it. Felt it. _Soul._

"Soul! Over he-" She was interrupted by Black*Star's hand over her mouth and the sensation of being flung through the air onto an unforgiving surface. When the stars cleared and she was able to comprehend that she was now sprawled out on one of the 1st floor dissection desks, she realized why. Simply put, Black*Star had just tossed her into an empty classroom (_the bastard) _and now he was calmly stripping down to his personalized boxers.

_Wait. _

Maka's sudden intake of breath registered at about 37 decibels, and her eyes practically popped out of their sockets. How could he- oh Shinigami, did his _muscles_ have muscles? She scrambled backwards to put some distance between herself and the Bowflex ninja, all the while desperately looking around for something to smash into his cranium. Kid's warning about Black*Star's physical prowess was really coming back to haunt her now. How could she have left the relative safety of the classroom and gotten herself into this mess? Apologizing to one who applied makeup like a circus clown was not worth this. She closed her eyes to shut away her fear and to focus on the link between her and Soul's soul. It was not quite soul resonance, but something born of their years together, along with their mutual trust and friendship. She barely had time to send out a frantic S.O.S. before she felt Black*Star's breath on her face.

"Maka," Black*Star breathed, his voice low and husky, tracing his lips along her jawline. Maka felt as if her body was suffused with lead – not quite frozen with pleasure, but by the force of his will. Her shock didn't help matters. Although Kid and Soul had talked about having plans for her protection, she hadn't really thought he would come after her like this. It just seemed so wrong – Black*Star was meant for Tsubaki, not for her. How could he disregard his connection to Tsubaki – born in a moment of total acceptance, strengthened by adversity, and of _years_ long duration – for this momentary madness?

"Black*Star, no. Stop. We can't do this. I _don't want this."_

"Oh? I beg to differ." Black*Star's laugh ghosted in his mouth's wake, and Maka shivered as he spoke directly into her ear. She ground her teeth together just in time to keep her from gasping as Black*Star suddenly sucked on earlobe – how could that feel so good? She didn't desire him, hadn't seen him first after ingesting the Nyne. So why in Shinigami's name did Black*Star's mouth on her ear – now her neck – make her want to moan? Maka supposed it was that she was so sexually starved that even this felt good, but she still hated herself nonetheless. Her breath caught in her throat as Black*Star sucked on the skin of her neck right above her collarbone, and reflexively she struck out at him. She clouted him on the side of the head, but unlike her Maka-chops, she simply did not have enough force to deter him. In this case, he gripped her arm, and smirked at her. He raised an eyebrow. "Look at you, all hot and bothered. Makes me wonder just why you want me to stop." Horrified, Maka realized she was flushing, and her breathing was faintly uneven. She shoved back against him, but that only resulted in him grabbing her other hand as well.

"Because I don't like you! Now let go!"

"You don't have to like me to like what I do," he murmured, leaning in close to her mouth. Maka pulled her lips inwards, hoping he would be deterred. In response, he raised her arms above her head, adjusting so that he held both her wrists in one arm. As he moved, Maka could hear sounds outside the door, and her heart leapt in hope.

"Or do you not like me precisely because you like what I do?" His smirk became positively sultry as he leaned in close to her lips. Maka could only stare at the oncoming train wreck that was Black*Star as her brain struggled to wrap around the concept. Was he insinuating that she was in any way, shape, or form like her Papa? Oh no. Oh _hell _no_. _She found herself, buried amongst the rubble of her sensibilities and her seriously neglected, rampant sexual desires, just as Black*Star leaned in for the ultimate assault – the kiss.

"Oh _no_ you don't-"

With a noise equivalent to a cannon shot, the door flew open, slamming against the wall. Black*Star and Maka glanced over, and were immediately stilled. Maka had prayed for salvation, but now when it came, she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about it, or what to do. Honestly, if it were possible, she felt even more uncomfortable that she had before.

"Unhand her, Black*Star!" Kid stood outlined in the doorway, hands on his hips, angry scowl on his face. He strode over to them, his skirt swishing around his hips with every step he took. His angrily sparkling eyes – assisted by the light yet tasteful eyeliner and mascara – berated them, and his pink pastel blouse simultaneously confused and offended them.

Kid was in drag.

…

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…

Soul's universe had shrunk to encompass only two things – the reverberation of Maka's panic through their soul link, and what his imagination told him was going on behind the locked classroom door in front of him. Soul growled as he stepped back, preparing to slice through the door and personally emasculate his former best friend. A ragged, civilized voice stopped him.

"Please. Allow me. I will detain Black*Star, you should get Maka to safety."

Soul grimaced his appreciation. "Thanks Kid. I don't know what she was thinking, going off on her own like- that…" Soul had glanced over at his neurotic friend and his sentence tapered off. Kid's appearance cut through even his rage, and for a moment, all he could do was stare. Kid was dressed in one of Liz's long skirts, and the blouse Patti had been wearing earlier. His makeup had been artfully applied by Liz, and even his fingernails had been colored. Soul paled. What on earth?

Kid caught his bewildered stare and frowned. "They thought it might help. Something about shock factor." Kid sighed. "Patti also threatened to unman me if I resisted."

Soul gulped. Yep, that would do it. Then he turned back to the door, preparing the object he held in his human hand. He hoped Maka would still be able and willing to use it… Next to him, Kid concentrated and muttered something about stances and sin, then proceeded to kick the door in.

The sight of a largely undressed Black*Star looming over Maka was almost enough to send Soul into berserker mode. He settled for the next best thing, which was seething in rage as Kid walked over to the couple. He waited for his chance, which came into being the moment Black*Star let go of Maka's hands and rolled over onto his back, laughing hysterically. Soul hefted the object in his hand.

"Maka, catch!" He lobbed the comically heavy tome through the air, slightly heartened by the fact that Maka, at least, was wearing all her clothes. His aim was good, and it was the work of a moment for his partner to catch the book and turn on Black*Star.

"MAKA-CHOP!"

The effects were instantaneous. Maka had apparently learned from Patti's example, and instead of aiming the blow for the boy's skull, she had aimed for the junction between his legs. Black*Star managed to moan before he blacked out. Maka did not stick around to see whether her hit was successful or not, however, as soon as she chopped she ran for the doorway.

As she approached him, Soul thought she might just throw herself into his arms, and his heart almost stopped. He stepped towards her and retracted his scythe arm before he registered Tsubaki's presence behind him.

"Tsubaki, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Maka threw herself into Tsubaki's slightly bewildered embrace.

"Maka, it's all right. After all, we all knew he'd try to do this…it's not your fault." Tsubaki sounded slightly off, but that was only to be expected. The old love of her life was lying unconscious on the classroom floor, and her new love was staring down at him, wearing women's clothing. It had been a long and trying day. For everyone.

Soul tried to swallow the sudden bitterness in his throat. Had he really thought Maka was going to jump into his arms? How could he have been so stupid? _Because she was looking at you the whole way, baka. Her eyes only switched to Tsubaki at the last second. She was running for _you. Soul growled and tried to ignore the triumphant chattering of the demon imp. He didn't want the personification of his black blood having anything to do with Maka, and the imp had been showing more and more interest in her over the last few years. Shaking his head, he turned to Maka. "Oi. Tiny tits, you done causing trouble? We gotta' get home and pack, we leave early tomorrow."

From the look on Maka's face, he could see that she wanted to Maka-chop him. She didn't, however. Either the look on _his_ face (or Tsubaki's subtle nudge) kept her from doing so. Yet after the insult filtered through her brain, she realized she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Wait, so we're taking the-"

"We already discussed this, Maka. We're going on the mission with Spirit and Stein tomorrow. We're going in as the second wave, and the adults are going in first." He turned to wave to Kid and then pulled Maka from Tsubaki's grasp. He waved to her as well. "Remember, we're not going to be back until Friday or Saturday, so be sure to pack a lot of books…your bastard dad is pissed off, for some reason." With that, they made for the exit, before Black*Star could awaken and resume the chase.

Kid realized he was practically alone with Tsubaki before she did. She still was staring at him in shock – thank Father these clothes were good for _something._ He sashayed past her (wondering if it was sad that he was proud of how good he looked in these clothes? Probably.) and rested a manicured hand on her shoulder before he made his stately escape.

"Ahh, Tsubaki. Be a dear and help Black*Star when he awakens…maybe Stein-sensei will have something useful for him to do while Maka and Soul are on their mission?" Before she could react he frolicked down the hall, skipping a hasty retreat.

Tsubaki wondered if the world had gone mad. She reflected on her bathroom misadventure, and suspected it to be truth. Yet all that became secondary as Black*Star groaned and rolled, still trying to cup his aching manhood. Tsubaki rushed to his side before she could question why – habit and affection won out over Nyne, at least for now.

"Black*Star, are you all right?"

He managed a cocky grin, pale as he was. "You're asking if Black*Star, the great god is all right?" He sat up, wincing. "Never better, Tsubaki. Despite a minor setback, I now have a plan."

"Oh?" Tsubaki asked merely to be polite. She was far more concerned with helping her partner get to his feet, and then to Nygus-sensei to make sure there wasn't any permanent damage to Black*Star's…uh, little Black*Star. Not that she was interested, not anymore! Just…just…for his sake. Yes. After all, she wanted to be an Aunt someday…

"Yep. Tsubaki! So I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the God Who Is Not Nearly As Great As I." _And with Soul_, he added silently. It wouldn't do for her to know that, however, as she was in her motherly pampering mode, and he'd always kind of enjoyed this part.

Tsubaki blushed, suddenly very grateful that she hadn't been able to do anything but stare at Kid. What if she had tried to seduce him? Her blush deepened. For once, she was profoundly thankful she had no idea how to do that anyways.

Black*Star frowned. He knew that Tsubaki was under Nyne's influence, but still. Kid had been dressed as a _woman. _Even under normal circumstances he was nowhere near as fascinating as his godly self. Under a love spell or no, Tsubaki should be paying more attention to _him._ Anything else was simply against the natural order of the world!

"Tsubakiiiiiiii." He grabbed her hand, childishly pleased when her eyes widened and fixed on her face. Now, this was more like it.

_Old habits die hard,_ Tsubaki thought to herself as her heart rate skyrocketed. It wasn't that she was still attracted to her idiotic, thoughtless, selfish partner; it was just that her heart was so used to racing whenever they touched, it hadn't realized it was time to stop. It was also time to answer his unspoken question. "Yes?"

He still held onto her hand and Tsubaki suddenly became very aware of Black*Star's pants all the way across the room. "We've been on the training regimen for far too long…we need to get out and have a battle or two." He sat up effortlessly, missing how Tsubaki's eyes swooped down to witness the flex of his well-defined…abdomen. Without thinking, his voice reverted back to low and husky, like he had used with Maka. It was a good choice, as it made Tsubaki shiver and completely forget herself.

"Tsubaki…Let's go talk to Stein."

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**Kid and Patti are fast becoming my favorites to write about. Gonna' be honest, I didn't know **_**what**_** to do for them when mapping out this silly, silly tale. Yet now are my favorites, and hopefully you will see why. Love them! **

**If anyone draws things (I envy you) and wants to draw a pic of a teenaged Kid in drag…well, I certainly wouldn't stop you…**

** I will also say this: Black*Star has a magic superpower of the gods, and it is faking unconsciousness. Oh, and he has a package of steel WHICH SHALL BE SEEN so please do not worry about permanent damage or anything. Unless it's just me…and Tsubaki. **

** Also, dang. Anachronism. Cell phones…man, just roll with it. Oops. **


	3. Day 3

**Don't own it! I only own my awful lateness...as well as my first grad school audition :) **

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**Day 3: IvoryAngst (MORE CROSSDRESSING) Averted Disasters, and Stein Does Not Care About Your Tears. **

**Alternative Title: Black*Star is Not the Brightest**

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_The feel of ivory keys under his fingers simultaneously produces anxiety and calm. Even now, even here in the dark reaches of his soul. Yet perhaps that is only to be expected: since the beginning of his trying childhood music has been the language of his heart. He had always had a hard time understanding and recognizing his emotions, let alone expressing them coherently to those who he could tell (even at a very young age) did not truly care for them. Musicians made up his family, music ran through their blood; the piano was simply his weapon of choice. Yet as the years passed he learned that music brought not only the freedom of being able to express himself, it also encompassed the prison of expectation. He was not the technical prodigy his older brother was, nor did he play with such sweetness and beauty. Before long, what should have been cheerful sonatas and upbeat inventions were mechanical and lifeless, whereas his melancholy waltzes and haunting nocturnes frightened those who heard them. The pressure continued to build until he had discovered his other heritage, the bloody salvation he had somehow inherited. When he enrolled in Shibusen, he thought he would pursue this other path that was free from the confines of his family and his past and never regret or look back at what he had left behind. _

_ Yet it had been sitting at the piano, playing his twisted melodies when he had met her. She had not been afraid. Not then, not now, not even in the chamber of his soul where his black blood held sway. For whatever reason, she had always believed in him, and he would never do anything to change that. _

_ So why she standing before him in the dress of black blood – alternatively wispy and steamlined, smoky and sexy – looking so goddamn tempting was beyond him. _

_ "Maka? Why are you-is something wrong?" Soul attempted to push himself away from the piano, and wondered if he could get her out of her before the damn ogre noticed she was here. Shinigami, if only she wasn't wearing that damn dress!_

_ Maka chuckled. It was a low, sultry sound, and it absolutely wasn't Maka's. "No, Soul. Everything is fine."_

_ Soul froze. Before he outright accused his little demon of fucking with him in Maka's form, however, he had to ask. Maybe there was a logical reason the demon came to him looking like Maka. "Then why are you here?"_

_ Not-Maka pouted, and ran her fingers across his piano's sleek surface. Soul shivered as he felt the echoes of her touch along his spine – how had he never realized his soul piano and he were so intimately connected? _

_ "Am I not welcome here, then? I was so bored, too…"_

_ Ok. There was corruption, and there was this. Soul was heartily ashamed of his little demon right now, not to mention seriously grossed out. How could that ogre honestly think to pull a Blair on him? I mean, damn! They were both guys, weren't they?_

_ "Ok, little ogre, fun's over," Soul growled. "I know what you're doing, and it's absolutely disgusting. So let's just pretend this never happened…" Soul trailed off as Not-Maka cocked her head and began to giggle. "What's so funny?"_

_ Not-Maka rested her hand on her stomach, and Soul's attention was drawn to her torso. Oh sweet mother of shinigami, was she not wearing a bra?_

_ "I think it's funny you thought that I was _he. _Are you not even aware of all that live in your soul?" _

_ Soul frowned, careful to keep his eyes trained on her face. "You're not the demon? I don't believe you."_

_ Not-Maka sighed, and gestured to the far corner of the room. Her fingers flicked and the curtains twitched open, revealing the slumbering ogre; replete with nightcap, teddy bear, and glass of water. _

_ Soul sweatdropped. He now officially knew too much. _

_ Yet if the ogre was over there…as he looked over at the painfully alluring Not-Maka, Soul's mouth suddenly felt too dry, his tongue too large in his mouth. If this wasn't the ogre, what part of him was imagining this seductive simulacra of Maka?_

_ …_besides _that, of course. He had experienced his fair share of waking and sleeping sexual fantasies with Maka as the star, but never here. Not when he was so deeply enmeshed in his soul. He had thought desire to be of his physical body's domain, not his spiritual self…_

_ Not-Maka turned with a wicked smile on her face. "Now. Where were we…?"_

_ Soul gulped as she took a step in his direction, naked hunger on her face. _

_ "Ah yes. Boredom. Soul, you never pay attention to me…you never _play_ with me." She was leaning over him now, curving over a bend in the piano. "Why?"_

_ For a moment, Soul felt trapped in her liquid gaze. This was the Maka of his dreams – sexy, scantily clad, and more than willing; it took serious focus to wrest his eyes away from her. "Look. No matter what you actually are, you're not Ma-_her,_ so give it up. I don't need to play with you. It will just make things hard-"_

_ "It is already hard." _

_ Soul froze, thinking she was referring to the state of his rebellious organ inside his pinstriped pants. He had to actually glance down to make sure his rapidly waxing interest was not yet visible. It wasn't, but still. Damn teenage hormones._

_ "You have denied yourself for years, and soon it will all come to pieces. The breaking point is near, Soul Eater. Events have been put into motion that no one can stop now." Not-Maka leaned further into the piano, and with horror Soul realized she was melding _into _the piano._ _The effect was transitory, however, and the discomfort ended when she passed through the piano and onto his lap. _

_ Yeah, she could probably feel the little scythe now…_

_ "You're in a difficult position, Soul. Either you will take her, or he will. And you've already done your best to ensure it won't be him."_

_ Soul couldn't help but smirk, even as she leaned down to nuzzle her nose against his neck. Yeah, Operation Get Black*Star The Hell Out Of Shibusen had been a stroke of brilliance – all except for Stein releasing the class early, resulting in Black*Star beating Soul to Maka. Save for that, however, it had worked like a charm: Tsubaki had done just what they'd told her (concerning Black*Star. What she had been doing in the bathroom in the first place she'd never quite explained) and Kid had more than delivered on the distraction factor. Yet at the moment, that was neither here nor there. _

_ "Yeah, he's out of the picture. But you're wrong." He gripped her questing hands before they could enmesh themselves in his hair, and pulled her back so that he could look her in the eyes. "I'm stronger than that. I'm not going to take advantage of her, _especially_ when she's like this."_

_ "Like this? Ahh, you must mean when she's so sex deprived she can hardly see straight." Not-Maka purred and stretched, rubbing their lower bodies together in a painfully intimate manner. "I know all about that conversation you overheard in the men's room. What was it he said? That the effects didn't die out when his girl wasn't with him…it just transferred to any other available female?" _

_ "Maka's not like that," Soul growled. He gripped Not-Maka's hips painfully, causing her to stop. "Neither am I."_

_ He was exerting enough pressure on her hips to make her Cheshire grin seem surreal. "That is the heart of it, isn't it?" Soul found himself gripping the air and wisps of smoke as Not-Maka reappeared at the far end of the piano. Her face grew solemn as she gestured to him with something, and then set it down on the piano. _

_ It was a glass. _

_ Soul's heart stopped. Of course Not-Maka would know, she was a part of his psyche, after all. His eyes narrowed. Clearly she didn't believe his brave words. _

_ Well, damn. If that didn't foreshadow epic failure and doom, he didn't know what did. _

_ "The truth will out. Where will you stand when it is discovered? Do you know?"_

_ Soul shook his head angrily. "It doesn't matter. Whether or not they –she- knows. I will not act on this."_

_ "Oh? Then you won't mind a small taste."_

At the heels of her words was a vision so sharp and poignant, Soul was tempted to think it was real. Yet to believe was madness, for only in insanity could such a thing happen. Maka was lying naked on his bed, flushing and sleepy-eyed, curling underneath his bold gaze. He wanted to stare longer and etch the memory of her naked body but she pulled him down to her, and their lips met solidly, satisfyingly. More than satisfyingly. Her body arched against his, and the curve of her hip and the swell of her breasts made his mind go numb. Lightly calloused fingertips found the apex of her thighs, and before he could help himself he had slipped them inside of her musky, warm tightness-

_ Soul fought for breath, staring wide-eyed at Not-Maka. He was so screwed. "Fuck," he whispered. _

_ "Precisely. _

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"So when are we going to meet up with everyone?"

"Soon. We'll meet up with them in the morning." Tsubaki very carefully kept her eyes away from her partner so that she would be subjected to his adorab-_annoying_ fidgeting. There was absolutely nothing adorable about Black*Star anymore. Nope. Not since he was 14, really, and still possessed the last remnants of childhood in his face and actions. Definitely not now, when he was an inch taller than her, and muscular enough to make Heracles blush. Most of all, she no longer thought he was _adorable_ because she was no longer in love with-

"Tsubaki!"

She felt his obscenely powerful hands grip her waist and was so confused she couldn't even squeak in surprise. Her body betrayed her as her heart began hammering against her ribcage, and the strength fled from her legs – ok, so maybe there was still a bit of residual physical attraction left. But she wasn't in love with him anymore. Absolutely not.

"Tsubaki, will you pay attention? You almost walked right into traffic! Are you- you're not even listening to me! Tsubaki!" Black*Star shook his weapon, careful to be somewhat gentle. He couldn't have her wandering off into her dreamland when she was the one who knew where they were going. That, and that last car had come rather close…

Tsubaki shook her head and had the grace to look rather sheepish. "Sorry, Black*Star. I'm just really tired…I'll work harder to stay alert." She shimmied out of his grasp and smiled apologetically.

Black*Star's brow furrowed at the thought of Tsubaki so incapacitated. It had been a long day, yeah, but nothing compared to the worst that they'd been through. "If you're tired I'll carry you, and you can just tell me where to go through our link. Here." He stretched out his arms, silently bidding her to go weapon.

Tsubaki blushed and shook her head, turning her attention back to the city they were currently navigating. They had arrived only half an hour ago, and were attempting to locate a cheap yet sensible hotel. It was a temporary step - after they met up with Stein and Spirit in the morning, they would stay more or less with them.

Black*Star frowned. Why on earth would that request lead Tsubaki to blush? He was her technician, for Shinigami's sake and- Oh. _Oh._

"Hey, Tsubaki." She squeaked as he sidled close to her and wrapped an arm reminiscent of a tree trunk around her midsection. "There a reason you don't want me to touch you?"

Tsubaki turned her frightened doe eyes on him, knowing that his persistence could only mean some form of lesser doom. "Nope! No reason!" She squeaked while attempting to sidestep his muscular appendage. "I don't mind at all!"

"Oh? Then maybe you should hold onto me as we cross the street…some jackasses over there were checking you out, and I don't feel like pummeling them later if they try anything." He yanked her against his side, humming softly when their bodies connected. It had been a while since they last touched like this, he realized. Lately, it seemed like the only time they would interact physically was in battle…Tsubaki hadn't ruffled his hair, given him a hug, pet, patted or engaged in any other method of physical reassurance in months, if not years… That was a shame. This felt really nice, far nicer than he remembered. Actually, this felt almost as good as holding Maka, although the situations were otherwise pretty incomparable.

Tsubaki shifted restlessly, clearly longing to be free of his embrace. Black*Star's eyes narrowed. Ah yes, back to the _problem_.

"I know you're lying to me, Tsubaki. There _is_ a reason you don't want me to touch you…and his name is Death the Kid."

Tsubaki jumped about 6 inches in the air, and redoubled her attempts to escape from Black*Star's clutches. "Of course not! That has nothing to do with anything! Anyways, we've crossed the street now and I think you can let go now-"

Black*Star was about to reiterate his conclusion with an emphatic but logically ill-founded quip when he saw the look of genuine discomfort on Tsubaki's face. She hated him touching her _that_ much? He released her, absolutely shocked. As she stammered out an apology, and attempted to draw his attention to several unimportant shops as they walked by, he fixed her with an unreadable gaze. Did she honestly think he wouldn't notice how strange she was acting? Well, granted she had been acting strange for a while now, but he had put that down to what Maka had explained it as - the onset of womanhood. Yet that was a different, far more acceptable strange than this. That had encompassed blushes and sighs and a noticeable lack of hugs and physical affection…Black*Star's heart skipped erratically. That was kind of a lie, wasn't it. Truthfully, Tsubaki's current behavior wasn't so new, it was simply an _amplification_ of her old behavior. And if her studied avoidance of touching him was due to Nyne, a love potion that amplified one's sex drive and dormant romantic feelings, it could only mean one thing.

Tsubaki had been in love with Kid for a long, long time.

For many reasons, that didn't sit right with Black*Star. After all, Kid was _Kid_, the neurotic, questionably homosexual (or even asexual, considering his lack of mother) 5'8", symmetry-obsessed _immortal_ who dressed better than about 98% of Death City. And Tsubaki was Tsubaki, the mild-mannered, completely sane, painfully domestic, 5'9 and a half inches tall demon weapon of ridiculous power. More than that however, was that Tsubaki was his partner. _His. _ He didn't like the idea of her pining away for someone when they were supposed to be utterly committed to each other. He grudgingly accepted that she had at least not let it get in the way of their work – she had never let him down on the battlefield, and the battles had only gotten tougher since he had made her a Death "Scythe." Yet right now he didn't want to be fair. He didn't want her to be in love with Kid, especially if it distracted her from paying any attention whatsoever to him.

Fucking Nyne. After this was over, he was going to ream whoever had invented this shit.

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Maka stared in abject horror at the nearly naked person in front of her. And here she was, thinking that it couldn't happen again. Well, once was an accident, but twice…twice meant that that someone had some explaining to do, and that someone was Kid. The matter in question was his sexuality.

"Um…Kid?" The scowling weapon at her side found his voice first, and embarked on clarifying the obvious. "Mind telling us why you're wearing a bikini?"

Kid turned to face them, and Maka belatedly shut her eyes. The bikini was fairly conservative, and she was thankful for the thicker swathes of synthetic material than even her own, but it couldn't change her repulsion. She had now officially seen too much.

"Ahh, welcome. I'm glad the two of you could make it. Frankly, the girls are driving me crazy." Kid blandly smiled, far too serene for what the current situation called for.

For an insane moment Maka thought he was referencing his nonexistent breasts, and her brain nearly began to leak out her ears.

"Uhh, yeah… Liz and Patti…are they uh, they the reason you're dressed like a woman? Again?"

Maka was glad Soul was still able to carry on a conversation. She seemed to have lost the ability to speak, let alone formulate coherent sentences. Maybe being a cool, unflappable guy _was_ good for something…

Kid nodded emphatically, glad that someone was following his line of reasoning. "Indirectly, yes. I figured that if I made my sexuality ambiguous, then Patti would be less inclined to make sexual advances."

"…Is it working?"

Kid suddenly found his well-kept lawn absolutely fascinating. "…Not really."

"Well why the hell are you having a pool party then? If you don't want her to jump you, why are you intent on showing so much skin?" Maka found her voice (it had been hiding along with her sanity) at such obviously flawed logic. She supposed a bit of her mental panic came out, for both boys looked at her, slightly awed. She took a deep breath, schooling her features into a more neutral position. "Well?"

Kid muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "_Because Patti wanted to have a party," _and Maka and Soul exchanged a look. Oh Kid. He didn't stand a chance.

Kid noticed their pity and huffed. "Oh, don't give me that. We haven't gotten together and enjoyed ourselves in a long time. Anyways, we have to celebrate Oper- Black*Star's absence, don't we?" He caught Soul's glare just in time, and realized Maka probably didn't know anything about the plan he and Soul had concocted the night of the incident. Probably for the best, too. Although Maka had proved to be laudably formidable in denying her attraction for Black*Star, you never knew what a girl denied the object of her lust would do. Or how persuasive Black*Star could be. Kid shuddered. He'd rather not know, to be totally honest…

"And Soul? Father would like to see you. I think it's about your monthly de-briefing…?"

Soul sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I kinda forgot about it. Think we could just do it now?"

"I don't see why not. You'll have to ask Father though. Would you like me to escort you?"

Soul pointedly flicked his eyes up and down Kid's form. Grimaced. "No, I think I'm good."

"Suit yourself. Maka?" Kid extended an arm, and if he had been wearing a suit and she a gown, it would have been the perfect gesture. As it was, it felt vaguely surreal. Yet how was that any different than the last few days? Maka forced a small grin as she gingerly placed her fingers on her forearm.

"Lead on, Kid." She glanced back at Soul as they walked off, and she was surprised to see him scowl. What on earth? What was he angry with _now?_ What was he even looking at, anyway-

Her…fingers? On Kid's arm? But why would that make Soul angry?

_Maybe it's because he doesn't want you to touch anyone but him, nyah…Even a questionably gay Kid…_

Maka was miffed to discover she had an inner Blair, and that it would cause her heart to leap at such illogical conclusions. Clearly, that sort of reasoning belonged in trashy romance novels, not in real life. Especially when the desired man had been living with you for _years._

_ Nyaaah, but Nyne changes everything! See how brave Patti is now? _

Maka frowned. This was true. But Soul hadn't been Nyned, so his behavior shouldn't have changed.

_But it has…that little incident earlier today proved that. (Nyahhh)._

Maka shook her head fiercely, determined to make her inner Blair _shut up. _Understandably, this drew Kid's attention. "Maka, is everything all right?"

Fate interrupted them before Maka could stammer out a response.

"Kid! Maka! Thank god, I was beginning to think you'd never come."

In that moment, Maka learned that insanity came in threes, just like good luck, bad luck, and just about everything else in fairytales. Before them stood Liz, utterly soaked and pathetic looking. Kid gasped.

"Liz? What happened? Who has done this to you? _Who has disrupted your symmetry?"_

Liz looked up at him woefully, the makeup from her left eye bleeding down her cheek. Her hair was mussed and unevenly parted, while one bikini strap had slipped off her shoulder. At the sight of Liz's marred makeup, however, Maka was struck by such a strong sense of déjà vu that she almost missed the reason why.

"Patti splashed me! I'd have run after her but only one contact fell out, and now I really can't see, and makeup is everywhere, and…and…the symmetry is _ruined."_

Maka inhaled her snort. Really? Did Liz not think that Kid was going to see right through that sad little-

Kid swooped down to clutch Liz's hands. "Elizabeth, stay here with Maka. I promise I will avenge thee." He jumped to his feet and gesticulated wildly. "Now, where did Patti go?"

Even Liz was taken aback for a moment. "Uh…she ran off towards the bath house…"

"Excellent. Stay strong. And Maka?" He gestured vaguely in Liz's direction before running off in the direction of the bathhouse. "Do what you can."

Maka nodded faintly. It was official. The world had gone mad.

Congruently, she was also beginning to appreciate Liz's talents as an evil genius.

"So you wear contacts now?"

"Hush. Kid didn't catch it, so it's all good." Liz reached down into her pool bag, retrieved a cloth, and calmly began to swab her face.

"You played it kind of dangerously with that symmetry bit."

Liz smiled fiercely. "Oh, not at all, Maka. I _know_ my technician, and he thinks I'm far too simple to use such underhanded tactics. He's like putty in my hands."

Maka nodded wisely, unsure whether she should ask the obvious. Oh, what the hell. "We're helping Patti seduce Kid, then?"

Liz fixed her bikini strap and frowned. Sighed. Pulled out a tube of mascara and began to reapply her makeup. "Yep."

"Are we sure that's the best idea?"

"It's what she wants. I can't talk her out of it. Believe me, I've tried." Liz muttered darkly as she capped the mascara quite firmly. "Apparently, she has a plan, and this is part of it."

Maka frowned, and set down her towel. "What's the plan?"

Liz's face undertook several actions that Maka had never seen combined: a lift of the eyebrows, a sickly grin, and a slight wince; leaving Maka impressed but apprehensive. What was that supposed to _mean? _Was it _bad?_

"Think about it. She's waiting for him…in the bath house…where there's lots of soap and water…"

Oh wow. Definitely bad? "She's going to jump him in the bath house?" Maka didn't quite understand the soap reference, but as she had never been kissed -let alone seduced someone in a glorified bathtub- she was willing to admit there was quite a bit about sex she didn't know.

Liz sputtered. "No! Absolutely not! Well, not exactly."

Maka was pretty sure that if there was ever a contest for befuddlement, she would win it. This annoyed her. Confusion was not her favorite mindset, and it had been happening a lot lately. "Liz, please. I don't know _what_ is going on, or if it's a good thing or a bad thing…"

"She's not going to _touch_ him, exactly. She said for the moment, it's more a matter of seduction. So, no touching. At least today. I made sure of it."

Maka squinted. Ok…maybe now she got it…a little. After all, she knew a bit about exposure. She lived with Blair, after all. Although at this point, Soul didn't get nosebleeds anymore. Maybe it would work better on Kid, who –hopefully- hadn't built up an immunity to sexy females.

Maka shuddered. It was simply _too weird_ to think about Kid having anything to do with sexy _anythings_.

"Anyways. So what about you? How are you holding up?" Liz led Maka over to the pool table, where tall glasses filled with a variety of legitimate and questionable substances waited in impeccable rows. Maka hunted down one that contained only water before answering the question.

"Pretty well, thank you. Much better now that uh, Black*Star is gone." Maka wondered if she should have blushed at the mention of her supposed crush's name. Oh well. Too late now.

"Mmm. And Soul?"

It was fortunate that Maka had just swallowed, otherwise she would have spat water out all over Liz, resulting in another symmetrical disaster. Instead, she merely choked. "What?"

"Oh please, it's not like he can hear us. How does it feel to not be lusting after him? Must be a relief, huh?"

Maka felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an atomic weapon. Liz should have been absolutely right. There should be no tension, no undue awkwardness between them. This should be, now that Black*Star was temporarily out of the picture, an absolute relief. Yet it wasn't. For obvious reasons. And now, all Maka could think about was breaking that damn cup earlier today, and Soul cutting his finger on an overlooked piece of glass, and-

Right. Liz. Question. Answer it. Lie, and pray that for once you do an adequate job of doing so.

"Ahhh, yeah, it's ok. It's weird though. I mean…I guess I feel kind of guilty."

"Hmmm. That's true…but you know, Tsubaki isn't blaming you for anything." Liz took a dainty sip of something that smelled an awful lot like whiskey, and continued. "How could she? About Soul, though - didn't you want to be out of love with him in the first place? I mean, _that_ at least has gotta feel good."

Maka hemmed and hawed, thankfully not noticing Liz's sharp attention was roused. She was still completely distracted by memories of her encounter with Soul earlier that day, and so the conversation between the girls died a natural yet suspiciously painless death. After all, Liz knew how stubborn Maka could be, especially when there was no incentive to induce Maka to spill her secrets. So she checked her cell phone and made a call, while Maka fiddled with her book. Let her think this was over. Let her think that her secret was safe. The truth would out, or her name wasn't Elizabeth "I'll Kick Your Ass" Thompson.

On the other hand, Maka was desperately trying not to give in and relive her afternoon. She would not. No reason to. Didn't want to. Absolutely not.

_Nyaaaaah?_

Oh _fine_, just this once. She'd think about it once, and then she'd let it go. It wouldn't do to obsess over it, she informed her inner Blair firmly. It would just make her a head case.

It was simple really. She had been putting away the dishes when Soul got back with groceries, and she had been so caught up in her musings that the unfamiliar and unexpected slam of the door caused her to drop a glass. She shrieked as it shattered, and Soul dropped the bag of groceries as he raced over to her. She had forced out a laugh as his worried eyes met hers, attempting to diffuse the situation yet the protective, dominant expression on his face nearly made her sag against the counter. Shinigami, did he have to look that concerned? That masculine? That _hot?_

Thus began The Great Hunt for Broken Glass in the Immediate Three Foot Radius of Where Maka Was Currently Located. Soul had – of course – not let the barefoot Maka move from her position, and so she was limited to what she could bend down and secure. Yet the inevitable was simply that. She wasn't sure if it was a piece of glass on her territory or his, but it was enough to cause Soul to swear and stand upright, blood dripping from the cut on his forefinger.

Maka blamed what happened next on the mesmerizing bead of blood on Soul's finger. And the Nyne. And his inherent hotness. She leaned forward as Soul glared down at his finger in disgust, and parted her lips.

Next she knew, she was sucking gently on his injured finger. It was funny, but it was almost as if his finger was throbbing in time with her heart, which was consequently pulsing deafeningly in her ears. Her wide eyes focused on his shocked ones, so full of some terrifying heat that belied his surprise. She barely had time to register how the seductive solidity of his finger in her mouth made her feel before he pulled it out with barely audible _pop. _

Awkwardness abounded. Maka felt the room temperature rise, and her flushing face reflected it as such. She attempted to fidget, yet she couldn't forget about the glass just waiting to slice the pads of her feet, and so simply jerked ineffectually. Soul, on the other hand, either could not or would not move. He stood there simply staring at Maka. Blinking. Occasionally gaping like a fish. This continued on long enough that Maka began to worry about heart failure rather than him realizing her feelings for him, and directed worried glances toward the bathroom. If he collapsed, would she be able to call for help in time?

The Maka that was currently gazing into the shallow depths of Kid's immaculate pool scowled. Of course nothing life threatening had happened. Soul had merely come to himself, finished clearing up the glass, dumped the groceries on the counter and then sequestered himself in his room as if nothing had happened. When he had finally come out again, he had given her about 10 minutes to prepare for Kid's hastily planned pool party, and on their merry way they had gone. Simple, neat, clean. Finished.

Yet…not finished. There had been that look when she had sucked on his finger…Maka shivered. While the look itself was hard to decipher, how it made her feel was not. Whatever the expression on Soul's face, it had made her come close to leaving behind her carefully constructed and religiously maintained barriers and angling her head up to more easily facilitate the projected sucking on his tempting lower lip. It had made her heart pound and her head swim fuzzily, therefore making her temporarily forget the whole not-wanting-him-to-realize-she's-in-love-with-him thing. She had wanted to push him against the wall, broken glass or no, and kiss him senseless. Then, she would have liked to proceed to the bedroom.

There. Admitted. Happy now, inner Blair?

_Are you?_

Not the point, Maka thought firmly. But yes. I am content. I will be content as long as this whole Nyne affair does not blow up in my face. But you, inner Blair. You. Are you done bothering me now?

…

When nothing but more silence appeared to be forthcoming, Maka had the sinking suspicion that her inner Blair would be satisfied with nothing less than underage fornication. She wondered if her inner madness was somehow linked up with the real Blair, who had conveniently left a 36 pack of magnums on the kitchen counter of their real apartment. Maka had noticed them in a furtive visit home to grab her swimsuit.

She sighed. Was it bad that the aspect of this that made her the most upset was that Soul was magnum sized, and Blair knew it? She could be just guessing; or simply being optimistic. Or maybe…maybe they weren't even for him! Maybe they were for Blair's work, and she simply left them there. Disregard the notion that Blair had never before needed condoms, as she was technically a different species than all her customers, and therefore couldn't conceive from their dalliances. Yes. They were for work. Not for her…him! Not for him! Not for Soul to use!

Dang. She was so literally not screwed.

…

…

…

…

…

Kid had taken only 5 steps before he realized that Liz, in fact, did not wear contacts. 3 steps more and he remembered that Liz never gave a damn about symmetry. 5 more steps and he had put together that Liz and Patti were siblings, and that they would do anything for each other, even if it were to his personal detriment. 10 steps later and in clear view of the bath house, he was still running. This begged the question: why?

He slowed to a walk, suddenly and violently wishing that he still possessed a working sense of reason. Or pants. Or a tank.

"_So crazy, how we get down…"_

But wait, was that…? Was Patti singing? In a surprisingly good voice?

"_Never thought it would be like this…"_

Yep. That was her. Singing. Intrigued, Kid snuck closer to the bathhouse, ignoring the small, logical portion of his mind that was screaming at him emphatically to get. Out. Of. Here.

"_Blaze the place, time for some action…"_

Kid peered into the bathhouse, knowing that he shouldn't, but damn it he _wanted to. _ He wasn't sure why, exactly. He thought it might have something to do with the pleasantness of listening to Patti do something beautiful and not crazy, and perhaps only a little because of the running shower noise that he could hear from outside the bathhouse. Yeah. Only a little though. After all, it would only be natural to peek, right? At least if he was following Black*Star's example…Before he could further examine the _wrongness_ of that thought, his eyes latched onto the younger Thompson sister and his ability to discern what was wrong, right, and symmetrical in the world ceased to be.

…

…

…

Patti smirked to herself as she heard what could only be her technician shuffling awkwardly outside the bathhouse door. She had purposefully left it open, just as she had purposefully stripped down to her bikini bottom. She then purposefully turned on the shower head to minimum flow, and continuing on in that purposeful vein, generously lathered her body with the bathhouse's soap/shampoo mixture. Then, she had begun to sing (with purpose).

"_Y'all and me we got it going on…_"

She expended only minimal effort to the thought, but Patti knew she was a beautiful woman. She had her mother to thank for that. Her body was deliciously curvy and supple, without losing out on her impressive flexibility; while her face was delicate, cute, and sweet. Yet there was one trait she possessed that she knew would inflame Kid's lust like none other: she was absolutely, perfectly, pristinely symmetrical. Add this to a bit of music and ambiance – and tasteful use of suds – and Kid was a goner.

"_So crazy, how we get down,"_

And now, onto the show. Turning so that Kid had an easy access to her profile, she slowly ran her hands up her arms, marring the sheen of white suds.

"_Anything you need you got me right here."_

If Kid didn't desire her after this, he was gay. End of story.

…

…

…

Oh holy _father _was that…? Did he see…? Kid gulped. Unless he was very much mistaken, the rosy pink nub bravely rising above the layer of soap coating Patti's body was her left nipple. Before he could confirm his discovery, however, Patti reapplied the fading lather by running a loofah over her full breasts. Kid's legs tightened as she lazily soaped her breasts, singing softly. Father in Shibusen, did she always bathe like this? Did she always linger over her breasts…and her stomach…and the curve of her lower back…? That was simply not appropriate. She should efficiently swab all areas of her body in a symmetrical manner, and be done with it! She shouldn't spend so much time rubbing her body like that. Well, he should just march right in there and show her how to correctly wash-

Kid shook his head violently. No! Absolutely not! What on earth was he _thinking?_

"_Mmmmm._" Patti's moan dragged his attention away from his wayward thoughts and back to her illicit attractions. She had abandoned the loofah entirely now, and was running her hands up and down her stomach, drawing swirling patterns in the lather. Kid's mouth went dry and the Shinigami maker in his pants completed its gradual expansion to full-mast. He winced. Of all the days to wear spandex against his nether regions…Yet he couldn't tear his eyes away from Patti. She just kept _touching_ herself, and making those noises, and soon, he had unconsciously slipped the bikini bottoms down to his knees, and rested a manicured hand against his now-throbbing member.

_Oh no,_ a wise if slightly harried-sounding voice inside his head informed him. _Oh no. There is a difference between peeking on your partner in the shower, and jacking off to what you see. One is playful (if executed correctly, and your partner is Tsubaki.) The other will get you killed._

Kid nodded resolutely. He glanced over at Patti, and noticed that her hands had traveled from her stomach to her breasts. She was kneading them. And sighing.

Kid's eyes lidded as his hand began to slowly stroke his cock. Oh, what the kisshin. He couldn't help it. Patti was (physical) perfection incarnate, and she was touching herself and _making those damn noises_ and he was supposed to just…watch? In a perfect world, perhaps. Or perhaps in a perfect world, he'd fling the sad remains of his bikini to the ground, stride in there, and join her.

At the moment, Kid was having a hard time deciding. This was made worse when Patti turned, causing her breasts to sway temptingly. Worse yet was when she hooked her thumbs around the waistline of her bikini bottoms, and pulled them down to her ankles.

Gasping, Kid fell back, collapsing against the outer wall of the bathhouse. Even during his ungainly descent, his hand never stopped pumping his cock. Moments later he spasmed violently, shooting trails of white heat up his chest. Shit. This bikini was on _loan. _

Yet he couldn't be bothered to worry about that now. All he could think about was the vision of Patti naked and unashamed, and _oh_ so delectable. That, and how he had never felt relief flood him quite like this, not even when he'd cum for the first time after refusing to masturbate for 3 months on a dare. This was new, this was powerful, this was…well, all he could say was this: he was a _seriously_ deprived little Shinigami if merely the sight of Patti's shaven pussy could elicit such a spontaneous, utterly unexpected reaction. Worse yet was that he was completely helpless to stop it.

_This is *your partner* that you're jacking off to. Doesn't that mean anything to you?_

Tell me when I'm not basking in the afterglow of the most powerful orgasm I've ever experienced, Kid told his inner Shinigami limply. I may be more inclined to listen after-

_…After she gets OUT OF THE SHOWER?_

Ah. Good point. Belatedly realizing that Patti had turned off the shower, Kid scrambled for his bikini bottoms. Upon realizing that he was not going to find them in time, he tore across the lawn, running as quickly and as silently as he could; all the while cupping his slightly sore balls. Hopefully, he could make it to the house before Patti – or anyone else – saw him.

His prayer was granted. Sometimes, it was _awesome_ being the son of a God.

"Kid?" Patti poked her toweled head out of the bathhouse, looking slightly confused when she found no trace of her technician. Her head drooped. Oh Shinigami-sama, what if that had all been for nothing? What if he had been the gentlemen and had simply left? No, she heard him gasp, didn't she? And then she saw it. A discarded bikini bottom, half underneath a well-maintained hedge.

Patti blinked.

Smirked.

_Patti 1, Kid 0._

…

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…

"WHAT DO YOU _MEAN_ THEY'RE NOT HERE?"

Stein rubbed the bridge of his nose. Shinigami, he was exhausted. He had spent the entire day listening to Spirit alternately running through his recent conquests and whining on about how Maka was going to be deflowered by everyone in Shibusen now that he was no longer there to protect her. Good for them, he had responded. Well played to the Queen, and all that. He had thought the explosion of indignation following his flippancy would be the worst he'd have to deal with today.

Clearly, he was wrong.

"Black*Star, hush! I'm sure that he just means they're just not here _yet_! Anyways, we have to sleep before the mission tomorrow…" Tsubaki was trying, vainly, to calm her technician. He had been angry all day, and getting lost three times on the way to the hotel hadn't helped matters.

Neither was Spirit. The man was clearly caught between gloating at Black*Star's discomfort, and expressing the rage that had been at a constant high since the entire fiasco began. Neither emotion was conducive to intelligent thinking. That being said, it had not been a good idea to divulge the fact that Maka and Soul were not even on the same continent as them; especially as Black*Star was far beyond Spirit's level to spar with, and Stein was in no mood to fight. Well…unless he could dissect one of them afterwards…

"Tsubaki, that is _not_ what he meant. The way he said it implied that they weren't coming. Dr. Stein!"

His eyebrows rose a little at how quickly Black*Star's neck whipped around, but he managed to keep his innocent façade nonetheless. After all, Black*Star had beaten him fairly consistently the last 12 times they had sparred, and he had no wish to get his ass kicked tonight. Not after having to hear all about Spirit's "love scythe."

"Yes, Black*Star?"

"Are Soul and Maka on this mission?"

The moment of truth. Stein very carefully avoided Tsubaki's pleading look and Spirit's apparent anxiety attack. He certainly didn't get paid enough to actively lie. Besides, teenage drama made him want to cut things up.

"Nope! Only two members of Spartoi were needed, and since you and Tsubaki volunteered, Soul and Maka took on a_ different_ mission."

There. He would do that much for keeping the peace, largely because he liked it when Maka dealt her father crushing blows with her dictionary.

Only Tsubaki was fast enough to move before her partner practically imploded.

"Black*Star, NO!"

Black*Star did not usually give into explosive rage. More often he slipped into a cold, dangerous trance where all movement slowed down and his thoughts and actions sped up. Yet now he roared, furious at having been thwarted. This is not to say that his movements were dulled. Before Stein and Spirit could recover from his outburst, he sprinted away into the forest, fully determined to run all night if he had to.

"Black*Star! Stop! Please!"

Oh, right, he had almost forgotten about Tsubaki. His partner, _who must have been in on this._ Without warning, he stopped and spun, causing her to run smack into him.

"Black_oomph." _

As he clutched her shapely shoulders so that she wouldn't fall over, he had to resist the urge to shake her. How could she do this to him? How?

"Tsubaki?"

"Ye…yes?" Tsubaki stumbled as she looked into his terrifying, beautiful eyes. A long-suffering voice in the back of her mind took in their position, and attempted to fly a small triumphant flag. After all, here he was, clutching her desperately and looking as if she were in the only important being in the world…Tsubaki had to physically shake her head to throw off these thoughts. No! She was in trouble, and he wanted Maka. Oh yeah, and she didn't want him either…

"Were you in on this?" Black*Star didn't know why he was whispering, but it seemed like a much better idea than yelling. Especially because if he began to do that, he would have to let go of Tsubaki, and for whatever reason, he really didn't want to do that right now. This impulse was cemented when he saw he shiver, causing him to grip her and pull her slightly closer. She couldn't be cold, as it was 80 degrees outside. So why? Was she _afraid_ of him?

Tsubaki's sexual attraction to her technician came back in full force as his rough voice so sweetly invaded her brain. Oh god, how could she deny it? It had been wearing on her all day, and what harm would it do to admit it now? Somehow, the Nyne wasn't working right anymore, and instead of causing her to lust after Kid, it was simply making her desire for Black*Star _so much worse. _"I…you were the one who wanted the mission…so-" Her reply was just as breathless as his, and she hated herself for it. Oh Shinigami, why couldn't he just let her go? She couldn't take this, not when he wanted Maka and would do anything to return to her.

"That's not what I asked, Tsubaki." He had been fighting the urge to move closer to her, to own her, _dominate her_ all day, ever since he realized that her attraction to Kid was of long standing. Yet now that she was standing so close to him, and was reacting so pliantly, responding so shakily…it was hard to step away from her. It was hard to respect her feelings for someone else when her face was flushed from exertion and her lower lip was trembling so slightly. Black*Star inhaled deeply, fighting against the instinct to crush her to him in any way possible. He was not a subtle man, and could not recognize the emotion that made him feel this way. It was not like what he had felt for Maka, some strange and powerful urge to kiss and touch her, fulfilling all the stereotypical requirements of those in love. This was different. The need to fully possess Tsubaki was not just in terms of physical fulfillment, but the emotional and cognitive as well. To see her in front of him, so vulnerable yet in love with someone else was a one-way ticket to madness. Yet the thought of Maka in Souls's arms didn't really upset him…

Tsubaki felt the tears brimming underneath her eyelids, and vainly struggled to keep them from reaching her cheeks. She had to be strong; not just for herself, but for everyone. She knew Maka didn't truly love Black*Star, and for her sake, and for the hope of her and Soul's potential future relationship, she must make it through this.

"I'm sorry, Black*Star," she whispered, ducking her head when the tears finally came. "But I was. I couldn't stand by and watch you wreck our friendships. Not that any of this is your fault! No, but- I had to do what was right."

Black*Star felt something cold nestle in his chest, and at first he couldn't decide whether it was because of Tsubaki's words, or her tears. It only took a moment of fixing her shaking form with a hard stare to decide, but Tsubaki spoke again before he could. She pulled herself out of his grasp, and this time he let her go.

"If you go home, you're going home alone. I said I would take this mission, and I won't let Shinigami-sama down." She picked up her head so she could stare bravely back at him, praying that he would and wouldn't reach across the distance between them and take her back into his arms. Gods she craved his touch; it would be her undoing.

Black*Star stared at her for a long moment, a rare, meaningful frown on his features. Then, without a word he turned and walked off among the trees. Tsubaki felt her heart break as she watched him go. He hadn't cut off their soul connection, but did he need to? He would leave, and then…then it would be over. They would be over. That altercation had been too final, too emotionally charged for it to have spelled anything other than the end.

Tsubaki sank to her knees as the tears came faster, choking back her sobs so that he might not hear her grief. Forget that he would feel it thought their link. Tonight, the man the she loved was finally leaving her, and for once, she cared too much for herself to mind what someone else might be feeling.

…

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…

**I sort of see Soul as a dark-side-of-Chopin player. Yet at the same time, I could definitely see him busting out some Rachmaninoff and some Ginastera. Stop it, self. Stop being a nerd. **

**Also, this chapter is dedicated to Marsh of Sleep and her fic, Amplify, as well as the one she cranked out last night. Amplification and updates and pool parties for the win!**

**Favorite danger verb: ream. **

**GAH! Most Importantly! There will be no more Black*Star/Maka-ness. At all. Romantically, I mean. Yeah, that made me super uncomfortable to write, let alone several of you to read! Sorry guys. Had to just get that out of my system :O**

...

"**Death the Kid (So Crazy)" (the song referenced) belongs to these people:**

**Lyrics by: Lotus Juice****  
****Music by: Taku Iwasaki****  
****Vocals by: Lotus Juice feat. HIROMI a.k.a. Rainbow. It was on the soul Eater soundtrack. Just putting it out there.**

**...**

**Inventions – referencing Bach's 2 and 3 part inventions. Haha I promise I'm not just making up a musical genre…**

**...**

**Also, as I was asked about the everyone's ages…I'm assuming Black*Star, Patti, Maka and Soul are all about the same age (I know Black*Star and Maka are only a few months apart), so I'm putting them between the ages of 16 and 17. Tsubaki and Liz are 18 and 19 respectively, and as I'm not sure about the aging process of Shinigami, I'll put him at an apparent 17.**


	4. Day 4

**Do I look like Atsushi Ookubo to you? I didn't think so. Regardless, don't own Soul Eater.**

* * *

**Day 4: In which Blair Becomes an Alarm, Patti Shoots Down Round Two, and Tsubaki Swears at Someone.**

**..**

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Maka padded quietly into the kitchen, knowing that it was silly to be frightened, but feeling a bit jumpy nonetheless. After all, Black*Star was on an entirely different continent; there was no way he could have gotten back that fast. So she should be perfectly fine to go and get a glass of water during the middle of the night without Soul's supervision.

Of course, Black*Star's current location had nothing to do with another reason she was excited. Yet that was ridiculous – why on earth should she be nervous about a _kitchen_, cut fingers or no? Maka shook her head. She was being absolutely ridiculous. Neither she nor her partner had brought up the incident, and it was absolutely forgotten. Yes. Now onto that cup of water-

"Need something?"

Maka yeeped alarmingly. For one awful second, she had thought it was Black*Star.

"Soul! Don't _do_ that!" She clutched the kitchen counter as her heart rate sunk back into its normal tempo.

Her partner chuckled. It was the sexiest sound she had ever heard, just after all of his other impossibly sexy noises. "Yeah ok. Sorry about that. So uh…what's up with you and the kitchen?"

Maka's heart exploded again, after a moment of stunned stillness. Did he just reference what she thought he was referencing? Or was he just stating the obvious? Well, two could play _that_ game. "Yeah. It's where you get water. When you want it. At night."

His red eyes glinted as he grinned at her nervousness. Maka huffed, attempting to go on the offensive.

"Well, what are _you_ doing here?"

The glint in his eye took on an entirely different character. Maka gulped as he took a step towards her so that he was definitely invading the fringes of her personal space. Then he took another.

"Well, it's night. I wanted something. It's in the kitchen."

Maka tried very, very hard not to recognize any deeper meaning in his statement.

"I'll get you a cup-"

"What I want would be _damn_ difficult to fit into a cup."

Another step. Maka mirrored his action, tightening as her back found the counter. Her erratic breath ghosted along his cheek as he leaned into her, arms stretching out to the counter, leaving her trapped in his sudden embrace. Maka felt as if she'd turned into a marble pillar when she felt Soul's perfect nose brush against her ear, in an undeniable attempt to nuzzle her. Yet marble melted when Soul exchanged his nose with soft lips and seductively moist tongue. A long, slow trace outlined her earlobe, and Soul's voice in her ear caused Maka to surrender:

"Show me where he kissed you, Maka. I'm going to take it away."

That was the end. Maka moaned, and Soul's tenderness was replaced with barely contained passion. He gripped her tightly, forcing their bodies together. He pulled her earlobe between his sharp teeth, and Maka couldn't help but clutch him back, shivering and weak-kneed at his touch. She was on the verge of moaning again when Soul interrupted her with a strained, husky voice.

"Where, Maka?"

Maka gestured vaguely between her chin and collarbone, and Soul chose to interpret that as her neck. He traced languorous pathways from her ear to the crook of her neck and shoulder, not once using his teeth until his mouth met her jumping pulse. Then he gave into temptation, and bit down lightly. Maka arched against him, gasping. Sweet Shinigami, she hadn't known necks could be an erotic focal point… As his lips traveled up to her jaw line, pausing here and there to nip and suck at promising patches of her neck, Maka found her hands were beginning to travel themselves. Rather disjointedly, they caressed the back of his neck, his hair, his shoulders. Yet her attention was far more focused on the touch of Soul's mouth so close to her face, and of the sensations it produced. Jolts of nearly painful pleasure were shooting down her stomach, and the building pressure between her legs was causing her to shift impatiently against Soul, mindlessly wanting friction, but not really knowing how to go about getting it.

Far away, in a different world entirely, Maka heard a bemused _mrowl._

Soul must have heard it too, as he pulled away from her for a moment, his eyes focused on the direction of his bedroom. His eyebrows furrowed, and Maka prayed that her own gaze wasn't as hazy as she felt. She was inexperienced, true, but she knew that hazy eyes and parted lips tended to indicate a certain passion that she was still hesitant to admit, let alone act upon. Yet whatever had taken Soul's attention was fleeting, and he turned back to her before Maka could school her face into a less inviting position. Soul very clearly approved of her lack of focus. With a hungry look on his face, his lips descended towards hers.

With only the whisper of their breaths between them, Maka heard it again: Blair's distinctive _nya. _Only this time, it was far less amused, and almost distressingly earnest. It was also coming directly from her chest.

Maka's eyes opened wide the fraction of a second before Soul's lips touched hers. In that same moment, she awoke.

"NYAAA MAKA-CHAN! WAKE UP!"

Her sleep-stifled yell caught in her throat, and it took her until her choking fit had passed to realize the position she was in. Then, after gulping down the water Blair had helpfully procured from Maka's bedside table, she sympathized with Soul: Blair was straddling her, in scantily clad human form. Only then did she realize she was awake, and all that she had just experienced was a dream.

With a long groan, Maka threw herself back against the pillows, too frustrated to even blush at the prolonged contact with a mostly naked Blair. She had just dreamed up the hottest interaction she could imagine with her partner, and it had felt so damn _real._ She could have sworn she had been awake!

And it (technically) wasn't even the fourth day yet.

Blair sensed her friend's frustration, and pursed her lips sympathetically. "Nyaaa, Maka-chan. You have to be careful! Dreaming naughty dreams about Soul will only make it worse, nyaaa."

Maka knew she should be either offended or surprised at Blair's perception, but she was far too tired and disappointed to invest in either emotion. After all, Blair was the sexiest being she knew, and an extremely magical cat. Therefore, it was more of a surprise to Maka that Blair knew nothing about Nyne, as she had protested when interrogated earlier. Sighing again, Maka settled back against the pillows as Blair shrunk down to her cat form, curling up more comfortably on Maka's chest.

"Really, Maka-chan! You were lucky only I heard you calling out Soul's name in your sleep! What if your papa heard? Or Soul, nyaaa?"

Maka half-formed a sarcastic retort about her father's nonexistent place in their apartment, but the sudden realization that Blair had a valid point wiped it from her mind. "I called out Soul's name? Is that how you knew?"

Blair hesitated, and the cat's face twisted into a very human-like grimace that was hidden by the darkness. Telling Maka the truth would probably not help at all, but if she found out later, she would be so angry… Reflecting on the image of an irate Maka chasing after her with a dictionary, Blair made up her mind.

"Nyaaa that was part of it…but even before that I felt the buzzing sensation." Maybe…just maybe, Maka wouldn't ask any questions.

"Buzzing sensation?"

Damn it. Blair tensed, completely prepared to spring off the bed. "Nya, you know. The buzzing sensation when you and Soul resonate?"

Underneath her, Maka went unnaturally still. _Great,_ a sarcastic corner of Blair's mind (that sounded an awful lot like Soul, actually) echoed, _you killed her. Now how will you pay the rent? _

"_WHAT." _Maka's panicked hiss cut through the darkness more effectively than a scream. Blair winced again, and fleetingly, fondly, reflected on the days where she lived alone. All those baths…the freedom to seduce any man and/or boy she ran across…no scary Maka moments…

"Maka-chan, calm down. You don't want to wake up Soul-kun, do you?" Maka paused, torn between panic, prudence, and exhaustion. Surprisingly, her exhaustion won out. After all, she had only gotten three hours of sleep, and had been forced awake in the middle of her sleep cycle. This was on top of three long days of stress and obsession over something as simple as lust. Right now, she just wanted to go back to sleep. She could worry about Soul's reaction in the morning.

"You're right." Yawn. "So we resonated? In our dreams?"

Blair was concerned at how lightly Maka was taking this. Maybe she thought she was still dreaming? "I'm not exactly sure, nyaaaa. It wasn't as strong – or the precisely the same – as when you two resonate normally. Were you in his soul?"

Half drifting off, Maka replied sleepily: "No. We were in the kitchen."

Blair looked up sharply at her human friend, at first merely confused by Maka's lack of diction, but then became concerned. "Maka-chan? Maka-chan, wake up."

"Worry in the morning…night Blair."

Ok. Maka not worried about being potentially caught out in her supposedly (yet of so obvious) feelings for Soul-kun? This was _not normal._

"Maka-chan!" Blair danced about on her chest, for once not being careful of her claws. It was to no avail. Maka had fallen back asleep. Then she felt it – the rumble in her bones and the faint, disregarded flash of panic that every magical entity felt in the presence of a being that was capable of soul resonance. Blair cocked her head, confused. Maka had just fallen asleep…she couldn't be anywhere near a dreaming stage yet. So how was she casting resonance? Unless…unless she wasn't attempting to resonate at all, and was being pulled into dreams – and slumber – by the seductive pull of her beloved partner's attempt to resonate. Blair squinted in concern and concentration. She liked Soul a lot, but it was Maka who she admired, and often had to fight down the impulse to protect her, both physically _and_ emotionally. She could blame that on spending so much time with Maka's papa, or simply wanting children of her own. Or…

Or she could quit fussying about like an old woman and fix the problem. Silently, Blair leapt off the bed and padded down the hall. Soul's door was slightly ajar, and so she had no problem slipping into the weapon's sanctum. Blair grinned an evil little grin in the darkness, as she checked the efficacy of her claws.

Excellent. Now to make Soul afraid to sleep for a week…

…

…

…

…

…

Kid didn't know how he got here, or what events had transpired to make him a slave to such a fate, but he did know that after he got out of this compromising and uncomfortable position, someone was going to pay. Starting with whomever had invented Nyne, and followed immediately after by Elizabeth Thompson. Although, Kid was starting to suspect that Liz was one of the principal engineers of this whole midsummer madness – how else could she know how to so neatly capitalize on his personal pain and suffering?

Today's emphasis was on pain. Yesterday's (and the day before it, to be brutally honest) had been all about humiliation. Thankfully, the girls seemed to have moved on from that stage. For now. But who was to say this was any better?

"Kid-kun, if you don't lay still, how am I gonna get all the kinks out?"

Kid groaned and settled his naked chest back into the cushioned table, giving in to Patti's command. As Patti's hands descended to his shoulders, Kid wondered how he had gotten into this situation. The girls had ganged up on him; of that much he was sure. Liz had been utilizing her best mother voice, except for this time it had been on him, not Patti. She had fussed and fretted over him (_oh Kid, you're looking much too tense nowadays…your neck is going to snap right off your shoulders…or perhaps just _one_ shoulder will snap off, and then where will you be…?) _and generally coaxed him into an empty portion of the mansion. Then, before he could stop her, she had moved with the speed and vehemence of her younger sister and cut away his lounge button up (ironically, Liz had gifted him with this very shirt last Christmas, in an effort to "loosen him up"). Patti had simply awaited him at his destination, smiling broadly (yet shyly, if such an expression was possible upon her face) and was totally prepared to utterly incapacitate him-

"Mmmh." Kid froze again, but this time it was entirely his own fault. He had practically lulled himself into a sense of security; his own musings coupled with the surprisingly gentle yet thorough touch of Patti's hands had caused him to forget himself and hum in pleasure. Patti froze for a half second and Kid saw the headlights of doom bearing down on him, but she paused only long enough to whisper _relax_, and then continued. Against his will, Kid felt his guard drop even further. Oh honored Father, perhaps his doom wasn't sealed. Patti had an opening and she hadn't taken it – perhaps she had found a way to fight off the effects of Nyne? Kid thought back to the first day, when she had sat in his lap and brushed her fingers over his chin, a simple yet somehow erotic action. Maybe she wanted nothing more than to give him non-sexual pleasure?

Kid's stomach dropped, and his disappointment was a stark contrast to the pleasurable sensations Patti was masterminding all along his back. It was nonsensical, he told himself as Patti slowly migrated from his shoulders to his neck – he should be proud of her for overcoming such base magical afflictions, not mourn the loss of her attention! He certainly shouldn't reflect on the feelings she had sparked in him, either. Her fingers against his face, the memory of her naked body…he was aware that his breathing had changed, had become fuller and slower, yet he was powerless to stop it. Pleasure was literally shooting down his body with every firm caress – Honored Father, but Patti knew exactly how to touch him, she knew just how hard to push his tired muscles – and he knew the last thing he should be doing was envisioning them in precisely this position, albeit naked. He had to stifle another groan as Patti dragged her thumbs down his back, digging deeply into the long muscles that bordered his spine. He felt the familiar stirrings between his legs and he bit back a groan, hoping that Patti wouldn't notice the tightening in his lower back. He couldn't become aroused! Patti was so graciously helping him out with his tension, and he couldn't tempt-err, insult her with his sexual desire. All he had to do was to relax and enjoy the sensations – if he tensed he would give himself away.

Kid's resolve was promptly shaken when Patti centered in on his lower back. Sweet Father, it felt so good! Her hands ran up against the hemline of his pants and Kid twitched his hips, unable to keep still when his arousal was firmly pressing up against the table.

"Mmm. That's going to be a problem."

Before Kid could ask Patti what she meant, he felt the unexpected sensation of air on his legs, and the cottony shift of fabric as it fell uselessly against the table.

"Pat-"

"Aha! Doesn't that feel better, Kid?" She whipped the fabric out from under him and dropped her scissors to the floor in one movement. Well, the game was up. This was not the action of a friend interested in Kid's welfare – this was Patti trying to get into his pants. He knew he should have protested, but the fabric had rubbed him in _just_ the right way, and her hands were on the backs of his thighs now, and oh, it felt too good to resist. Her hands kneaded his legs, working away at his tight muscles, and Kid's arousal grew to the point where even his nipples were straining against the table. _That's it_, he thought fuzzily to himself. _It's time to teach Patti a lesson. She wants to play with a Shinigami…well, I'll give her a "shinigami."_

He was fortunate that Patti was now crouching above his knees, instead of straddling his hips - it made flipping himself over so much easier. Patti gasped in surprise and Kid smirked. _That's right. Didn't think I would do it, huh? Well, your bluff is called, Patricia Thompson. Your move._

Her tinkling, sensual giggle wiped the smirk off his face. "Kid…you should have told me you wanted a full-body massage! Ehe. Now, lean your head back on your arms…" Shocked, Kid found himself being maneuvered by his weapon, and only the sudden proximity of her breasts to his face kept his outrage from being voiced. The slow drag of her lower body against his drew the breath from his lungs and let him know that without a doubt, Patti had won the day. Now, if only he could muster up enough indignation to stop her…

The massage was somehow so much more sensual now that Patti was atop him, and that Kid could see precisely what she was doing. Of course, this was ignoring the obvious – that her hands not only had access to his sensitive pectorals and abdomen, but also that she was unapologetically trapping his erect manhood between her thighs. Kid gave up when she reached his nipples. What else could he do? True she was his weapon, and yes she was magically compelled to desire him, but he also knew she would not stop until she got what she wanted, and he still trusted in his ability to stop before it all became too much. After all, Patti was the most dangerous (_and beautiful_, something inside him whispered) woman he knew, but he _was_ a Shinigami, and beneath all his eccentricities, he was the more powerful entity. Today, he would let her touch him; after all, they both wanted it. But it would go no further. He would not take her for a lover unless there was a correspondent emotional connection to match their lust. But oh, he would enjoy this while he had it.

Kid sucked his breath through his teeth as Patti gently flicked and tugged on his nipples. From the tensing in her thighs, he knew she felt his erection twitch. Yet she didn't acknowledge the obvious between them, other than to pull on his nipples slightly more sharply. That was enough for Kid, however. He bucked up lightly against her, noting how her eyes widened and her hands stilled. She looked down at him then, looking directly at him for the first time since the massage had begun. A look he could not recognize shaded her eyes, making her intent hard to decipher. Would she continue? Or would she back off, proving him wrong and leaving him utterly dissatisfied? He thrust up again, slower and more deliberately this time. Her eyes fluttered shut, and instinctively she pushed against him. Kid sighed, reveling in how good it felt to give _her_ pleasure, although he knew it wasn't his place while she was under Nyne's influence. For an instant, he wished they were both free to act as they chose, not as they were magically compelled. The moment passed however, when Patti opened her eyes and Kid saw the hungry look reflected in them. Then he feared for his life.

"All right then, Kid. You asked for it." Her voice was so low and sexy – so atypically Patti – that Kid almost lost it right there. The next thing he knew, her tiny hands had pulled the elastic band of his boxers down to his knees, and his reason for being stood proudly under Patti's circumspection. She spent a moment simply looking at it, her head cocked slightly to one side. Something in her expression made Kid ache to touch her, and he pulled his arms out from under him and reached for her.

"Nuh uh, Kid. Hands behind your head. This is your massage…don't make me stop." Underneath her harsh words lay some tiny vulnerability, and it was this more than the message that made Kid acquiesce. He wouldn't touch her then, by his reasoning and hers. But he would look at her. Oh, he would look at her, and hopefully the hunger in his gold eyes would show her exactly how much he _wanted_ to touch her.

Then, without further ado, her hands were on him and the wound up spiral that was Kid's lust unmasked itself. She stroked slowly at first, (_and just how did she know what to do? Watching her mother? Or personal experience…?)_ alternating the pressure until Kid thought his abdominal muscles might burst through his stomach. She didn't give him time to second guess his pleasure – her hands were confident, and she obviously wanted to bring him to the brink sooner rather than later. Kid couldn't think about why that may be. All he could think about were her hands on him, and keeping his moans locked safely behind his teeth. Yet even that was a lost cause. Her pressure and speed picked up, and Kid couldn't hold back his vocal exclamations of pleasure. He was getting so close now, and his mouth kept forming her name in varying degrees of distress. _Patti, Patti, Patti._

"That's right, Kid. Come for me. I wanna see you come."

He was undone. Kid let go in a release that rivaled yesterday's -only in that it blew every other experience out of the water; in all other respects it made yesterday look paltry. For a moment the outside world fell away; he saw scorching white against his eyelids, and could understand nothing else. Yet as the intensity of his orgasm faded he became aware of his partner, signaled by the familiar sound of her tinkling giggle. Before he could think of any adverse effects to his doing so (such as the cum that would now be forcibly meeting Patti's tank top, or the protest limply voiced by his spent member) he sat upright and pulled Patti against his chest. This was not simply to introduce Patti to the rapid beating of his heart, this was the only way Kid could think of to show Patti how much he appreciated her, and _everything_ she had just done for him. Well. A small, sardonic portion of Kid also wanted to enable the opportunity for Round Two, in which Patti's pleasure would be had. Step One of Round Two would be showing her appreciation, and by holding her close to him. Step Two would involve his fingers drawing small circles on her shoulder. Step Three-

Patti was having none of it, however. Before Kid could begin to implement Step Three, she brought the heel of her palm to Kid's abdomen, hard enough to expel a ridiculous "whomph" noise, and cause him to double over in pain. Then, she slid off the table, playfully winking at her technician. Before Kid could regain his breath, she had sashayed to the door, looking back before she exited with an intriguing, dare-you-to-catch-me smile on her lips.

Kid exhaled harshly, already turned on again even with mild discomfort lingering in his torso. At that moment, Kid realized he could no longer tell whether hated or lauded the creators of Nyne. He no longer cared. The thought had occurred to him that he was young, attractive, and a close friend to Patti – why shouldn't he be able to procure her affections even after the Nyne wore off? It would give him something to accomplish, and at any rate, Kid loved a challenge. But first, he had a dish to serve cold.

Now, where was Elizabeth?

…

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…

…

…

"Ready to go?"

Tsubaki looked up at Professor Stein, puffing on a cigarette, and looking everywhere but her. Still, she could hear the kindness in his voice. That, coupled with the fact that he had chosen to wield her for this mission (sending Stein home to "watch over Maka") meant that he had procured her everlasting gratitude. He understood that the best way to survive a broken heart was through action, and he trusted her enough to do her best. She would not let him down.

"Yeah."

The mission was a straightforward one. Several witches had thought to follow in Medusa's footsteps, and had set up laboratories to birth their unholy creations. Scattered around the world and still highly dangerous, it had taken Shibusen almost a year after the war against the witches ended to account for and destroy them. This was one of the few remaining, having been abandoned early on in the war. Still, it was considered a highly volatile mission, as no one could know what had been left behind to breed within the confines of the witches' lair.

"It should be visible any moment now…jeez, compared to the lab built into the face of the cliff this is ridiculously easy to get to. No wonder they abandoned it so early." Stein took a last drag on his cigarette, and then flicked it away into the forest. Tsubaki thought momentarily of forest fires, and Stein must have picked that up because he grinned as he tossed her – in katana form – from his left hand to his right. "No worries, Tsubaki. I'm a professional. I don't start fires."

Tsubaki said nothing. Instead of focusing on the anxiety Stein's response had caused, she had chosen to focus it on the upcoming terrain instead. Ominously, she felt nothing. According to Stein, he and Spirit had felt some low-level life forms mucking about the laboratory. They had assumed these were the experiments that had never learned to shield their power, and were presumably fairly unsophisticated. Perhaps that was all there was, although neither man expected that to be the case. Yet now there was nothing – Tsubaki couldn't feel a single life form in the area ahead. She relayed this information to Stein.

"Mmmm. Well, nothing we can do about it, I suppose. Time to get a better look." With a laugh that would have made Black*Star proud, Stein vaulted over the crumbling stone wall – _had there been cannons here? What else could have brought down this wall? – _swinging Tsubaki around in a defensive pose.

His gaiety ended as quickly as his defensive maneuver. After staring blankly at the carnage in front of them, he glanced over at Tsubaki, who had slithered from his grasp and retaken her human form. She looked as shocked as he.

"What could have done this?" He muttered as he kicked over a malformed body, and the head rolled slowly rolled downhill. The courtyard was filled with corpses; some missing limbs, others whole, and one was stuck to the wall with what seemed to be shurikens.

Tsubaki swallowed before answering, torn between weeping and maddened laughter. "I…I don't…" _I don't know._ But that was a lie. She knew who had done this. Shame and relief flooded her, and she had to wrap her arms around herself to keep from swaying.

"Tsubaki? Are you all right-"

"It was Black*Star." She smiled grimly, and shook herself. She would not descend into this madness-laced sorrow. Not after all she'd been through. She was stronger than that. "But we should make sure he got them all. Or that he's not still down there…" She looked back at Stein, her chin held high and her eyes bright. "Ready to go?"

If Stein saw the parallel to this morning, he did not remark on it. He simply reached for her, and nodded.

"Let's go."

…

…

…

...

...

Two hours later, Tsubaki walked into the hotel alone; unbloodied, unused, yet still somehow exhausted. There had been no death today – what she and Stein had seen in the laboratory courtyard had only been the tip of the iceberg, but Black*Star had gotten them all. Well, what she and Stein believed was Black*Star, at any rate. Stein had elected to remain behind - he had been almost disappointed at the lack of killing, but the opportunity to study so many intriguing new specimen had more than lifted his mood. He had taken up shop in the laboratory, working in front of a mirror so that Shinigami-sama could take part in his discoveries. Tsubaki's "mission" was to track down Black*Star and have him report to Shinigami-sama, although neither man had looked at her as they requested her to do so. Tsubaki understood what that meant. They both knew she wouldn't find him, and had no real expectation of her fulfilling this duty. For once, that was fine with her. All she wanted to do tonight was take a long, hot bath, indulge in a chocolate concoction (or three) and then sob herself to sleep. It was kind of Stein to vacate the hotel room tonight. Kind or prudent, as she knew without a doubt she would not be getting any sleep tonight.

They hotel proprietors had a healthy respect for Shibusen warriors, and had supplied them with a spacious corner suite that overlooked the forest. It was replete with a wrap-around balcony and spa access, and Tsubaki suspected she would be utilizing both tonight. But first she wanted to pack, and perhaps order some take-out before it got too dark. She had a long day of traveling ahead of her tomorrow, and this time without the distraction Black*Star would have normally supplied.

Tsubaki had barely shut the door behind her when he spoke.

"What took you so long?"

She froze, key card in hand. Out of all the scenarios she had tortured herself with since he had left, she had never thought he'd return. Even after realizing he'd completed their mission – proving himself simultaneously the most honorable and the most confusing man she had ever known – she hadn't thought he'd come back. She'd thought his actions to be proof of his departure. Not this…whatever _this_ was.

Too numb to reply, Tsubaki focused on turning around. Then, as her eyes caught the circular mirror on the wall, the curtain of fog shrouding her mind lifted, just slightly: Shinigami-sama. Call him. Complete your mission before you die of shock.

She pointed to the mirror for almost three seconds before she remembered how to speak. "You have to call. Shinigami-sama. Tell him what happened. Excuse me. For a moment."

With all the imperatives out of the way, Tsubaki made her way to the bathroom, feeling like a woman 4 times her age. Her tread was almost as heavy as her heart, and it took effort not to collapse as she walked past him, relying far too much on the doorknob of the bathroom for balance. It took her two tries to twist the knob the correct way. She could feel Black*Star watching her; he did not begin his call until the door shut behind her.

Yet then she was in the bathroom, and Black*Star was not in the immediate vicinity. She stood in front of the sink, and stared at her too-wide eyes in the mirror. She looked like she was in shock. She splashed some water on her face, wondering just how on earth she was going to handle Black*Star at the moment. He had come back. He was still _here._ What did that mean? Why hadn't he left her? Hadn't completing the mission freed him from her presence, allowing him to run to Maka? Not that Maka would welcome him anyway, but still. _Why was he here?_

Hope blossomed in an unlit corner of her heart, although Tsubaki was too fraught with emotions to accurately identify it. All she knew was that she had achieved a plateau of psychological stability, enough to ask those all-important questions. Depending on what his answers were, she would accordingly fall headlong to the abyss of despair, or start the grueling path back to friendship. The thought that their relationship could be salvaged gave Tsubaki strength: the one thing that she knew clearly was that she could not lose him again.

Still, she opened the door slowly, savoring the calm before the storm. "Did you get a hold of Shinigami-sama?"

Black*Star sat on the bed, one step away from lounging. Yet he was far more comfortable than she was, leaning back against the bathroom door. "Yeah. He said that Stein stayed behind, so he'd be better able to answer any further questions." His attempt at his usual cocksure grin was dampened by the seriousness of his demeanor. "I told him taking them all out was a cinch – I thought about leaving one or two behind for you and Stein, but it was wasn't a worthwhile exercise with enemies of their caliber. Needed the whole 279 to make it worth it." He stretched back on the bed and Tsubaki entirely gave up on trying to control her heart. It was going to thud this painfully every time she got within 5 feet of Black*Star for the rest of her life. She'd best get used to it, as there was nothing else she could do about it.

"Thank you." She hadn't planned on saying it quite that way, all whispered and sad, but it was better than nothing at all. It was a definite step up from twisting the doorknob off the damn door, at any rate.

"Please. No need to thank the Great Me for cleaning up some trash. There was no-"

"Not for that. For coming back."

It was interesting. Tsubaki had spent almost 5 years with Black*Star, and in her vast experience nothing had ever shut him up so effectively as what she just said. Her 3 (or 6, she couldn't be certain exactly what he was reacting to) insignificant words had rendered him so speechless, it was uncomfortable. Tsubaki was no pale, scentless flower, however. She was going to get an answer from him, or die trying.

"You thought I wouldn't?" When he finally responded his voice was quiet, low, and therefore probably dangerous, but Tsubaki fought back a grimace for a different reason. Answer her question with a question, would he?

"You wanted to go. Why did you come back?" She could do nothing about her voice, which was just as thick as his. She could stand up straighter, however. So she did. Step two to all this was to look him in the eye, but she wasn't there yet.

He stood, and her steadfast concentration on his left shoulder was disrupted. He took a step in her direction, and there suddenly wasn't enough air to go on comfortably breathing. Another step and it no longer mattered, as what little air remained smelled like him.

"Tsubaki."

"I asked you a question." _Stand your ground_, she told herself. _You are not weak. He is just a man. You can do this. _"You have to answer it."

He stopped in front of her, not boxing her in, yet effectively trapping her nonetheless. "I won't answer until you look at me."

Damn it. Tsubaki weighed her need for answers with her sudden inability to move any part of her body. Was she even physically capable of lifting her head at this point? She'd better be. She needed to know.

Immediately, she wished she hadn't. His soft voice utterly belied the expression in his eyes – focused, tense, and utterly fixed upon hers. She could practically see the stars in his eyes, marking his purpose and signaling his determination. Tsubaki shakily exhaled. She hoped he couldn't read what her eyes were betraying; of all the places she'd imagined confessing her years of one-sided love for him, a hotel room in Bulgaria was at the very bottom of the list.

"I came back because you have something to tell me, and I figured now was…well, probably the worst time to hear it, but that doesn't matter. We are partners after all, and I should support you… So go on, Tsubaki. Tell me all about it."

He was either furious, disgusted, or all that and more. Tsubaki knew she should probably begin her abject apologies for falling in love with his awful, conceited, unworthy self, but at the moment she was still reeling in the shock of discovery. How had he known? Had someone told him?

"I'm- I'm sorry?" Maybe if she pretended to be ignorant he would say it all for her. Also, she might figure out how he knew.

Black*Star sighed and ran a hand through his messy, un-styled hair. He had to unclench his fingers before he could do so. "Tsubaki, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You're in love with someone; have been for a long time. This is the moment where you tell me about it. All about it. Like how you Nyned yourself to try and win his attention. Like how you've been in love with him for years. Like how you went against me because he wanted to protect Maka. Tell me all about, Tsubaki. Right now, I'm prepared to hear it. Tell me all about how you're in love with Kid."

The sense of relief coupled with the sheer absurdity of Black*Star's accusations made Tsubaki lightheaded. He thought…she was in love with Kid? Well, she had been, for about three days. But he thought the affection was longstanding... Tsubaki couldn't help it, she sighed and nearly smiled in her relief. Shinigami bless Black*Star, and his nonsensical logic!

"Black*Star…I'm not in love with Kid. I was just Nyned…and no, I didn't Nyne myself to win Kid-"

"Tsubaki! Don't lie to me. I've figured it all out. Why else would you Nyne yourself? And your actions…You've been acting like a girl in love for a long time now. Admit it, Tsubaki. Aren't I your best friend? Why can't you just admit it?"

"And why do you need me to admit that I'm in love with someone? What does it matter to you? It hadn't affected our partnership, and it never would have if this whole Nyne thing hadn't happened! I don't have to tell you anything, Black*Star. Especially when you're as wrong as you are right now!"

"Too afraid, huh? Too afraid to admit that I'm right, and you fell in love with an inferior being? You…you're the stars, Tsubaki! You can't just fall in love with some measly Shinigami."

"I'm _not_ in love with Kid!"

"You've been in love with Kid forever!"

"I have _never loved Kid!"_

"Then who were you in love with?"

"YOU, you dumbass! It was _you_!"

In the space of Tsubaki's shocked inhale, the energy between them stilled and the world stopped turning. Then Black*Star was pushing her back against the bathroom door, his arms caging around her, and his mouth captured hers before she could say anything more.

The kiss was the outlet for the maelstrom of emotions that rocked them, and both were helpless against the power of their attraction. Tsubaki's eyes fluttered shut as Black*Star ravaged her lips with his own, and her hands wound themselves into his bright hair. Forget sensibility. Forget her previous pain. Black*Star was kissing her like the world was ending, and she never wanted it to stop. His mouth slanted over hers, again and again, and she reveled in the feeling – his lips were so soft and wide, yet so dominant and sure. Oh gods, it was better than she had thought it would be. Kissing him was too good to be believed.

Tsubaki shivered as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her away from the bathroom door and closer to him. Her hands had slipped down to his face, frenetically tracing the lines of his visage. The strong jaw, the high cheekbones…she was desperate to touch it all. His hands were similarly exploring, but the larger planes of Tsubaki's physique. At odds with his lips, his hands gently skimmed over her shoulders and back, until he reached the curve of her rump. Then, growling low in his throat, he squeezed. Tsubaki felt his smirk when she moaned against his lips, pressing up against him in a vain attempt to quell the rampaging desire that had so easily destroyed any common sense she had ever possessed. She angled her face blindly, hoping to continue kissing him, but the brief respite had given Black*Star ideas, and he was above all a man of action. Keeping his hands firmly planted on her backside, he easily lifted her up and began nibbling at her collarbone.

Tsubaki's trust in Black*Star's physical abilities was such that she didn't even tense when he hoisted her up. She knew he would not drop her, and so she wrapped her legs around his torso, and unconsciously thrust down with her hips when she realized she was in the perfect position to interact with _his_ hips. This time, it was his turn to groan, and do his best to thrust back against her. When he realized he couldn't do that justice in his position – not with the amount of clothes she was wearing, anyway – he propped her against the door and began to rip off her clothes, mouth never leaving contact with her neck. To distract her from the destruction of her dress he sucked hard, undoubtedly leaving a mark, and causing Tsubaki to tilt her head back, banging it against the door. The action served to clear her mind, and she looked down to find Black*Star staring reverently at the black bra he had uncovered. Unwilling to destroy something he wanted to see over and over again, he kneaded her thighs and tore his gaze from the breasts which had set the standard since he was 12.

"Tsubaki. You need to take off your bra."

The heat of his stare made Tsubaki feel deliciously wanton and utterly desirable. She had not known she could or would feel like this but now that it was here… "Mmm?" She settled her shoulder blades against the wall so that her assets jutted attractively. "And why is that?"

Black*Star growled and let go of her ass with his left arm, and brought corresponding hand to her breasts. He teased her for a moment, gripping and petting her through the fabric; just enough to make her realize that it really was in her best interest to lose the bra.

"You want to take it off so that I can touch you, Tsubaki. Touch you-" He gently squeezed her nipple through the fabric, and then palmed her breast when she began to moan. "And taste you-"

With a gasp, Tsubaki brought her hands behind her and began to fumble with the clasp. They stared into each other's eyes the entire time, both ascending to new heights of desire simply by seeing their affect on the other. Not a moment too soon, Tsubaki freed herself, and with a low moan, Black*Star's mouth descended onto her chest. That was the end of rational thought for Tsubaki. To feel his mouth on her, his tongue licking patterns and his teeth tugging on her nipples was sensory overload of the acutest kind. Coupled with the feel of his arousal up against her, and the sensation of being suspended all throughout the experience made Tsubaki believe she couldn't be any more aroused. She could feel the slick warmth between her thighs, and it made her weak to think about what Black*Star could do to address that…

Overcome by the seduction of such an image, Tsubaki grabbed onto Black*Star's hair and yanked his head back, bringing their lips back together again. A hand found its way to her breast again, making Tsubaki pull back before she could be sidetracked.

"Black*Star."

"What?"

"The bed."

She didn't need to say anything else. Without the slightest hesitation, Black*Star lifted her into his arms, and in the next moment they did indeed find the bed. He paused only to rip his own clothes off, and Tsubaki gamely wriggled out of her boots and long black stocking, leaving them bare before each other.

Tsubaki had never really been able to imagine what this would be like with Black*Star. If anything, she would have guessed he would be full of dominance and bravado. She would not have supposed him to stare at her like he was doing now; as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life, and that he couldn't imagine she was really letting him touch her. That thought was intertwined with several uncomfortable others, and so she reached for him, ending the moment before she could remember that he did not love her back. Their lips met, erasing Tsubaki's doubts and bringing her back to the threshold of desire. Yet she had not chased it far enough away with only his lips, she needed to fight off truth with more sensation… Tsubaki slowly trailed a hand down along his chest, ignoring all else in favor of her goal. Black*Star's arms began to tremble when she reached his belly button, and for a moment, Tsubaki wondered why. It certainly couldn't be from over-exertion… Yet then her hand reached his sex, and Tsubaki understood.

Contrary to popular opinion, Tsubaki had (a limited) experience with the male genitalia. She had recently accompanied Blair to the strip club to pick up several packs of condoms, just in case someone Nyned made a poor decision. While there, an inebriated customer had elected to pull his pants down within the exact 1 minute and 45 seconds of Tsubaki's being in the shop, baring himself to all and sundry. According to Blair's shocked yet appreciative mrowl, the man had been quite well endowed. Tsubaki had unfortunately gotten a very good look, and, having decided within herself that the flasher's specimen was about as large as the penis could get, had been appropriately intimidated. Yet now that she was in such close proximity to Black*Star, she was forced to realize the error of her assumptions. He was larger. There was _no way_ that he was going to fit inside of her.

Tsubaki drew her hand back, hoping her gasp hadn't given away everything. If she was allowed to judge by Black*Star's groan, she had. But then he leaned down, for the first time kissing her softly.

"Are you scared, Tsubaki?"

_Well, yes_, Tsubaki thought in a panic. _Yes I am. I'm inches away from giving my virginity to you; you're bigger than a freaking bottle of coke; I just confessed my love for you and you technically haven't said anything back-_

"Tsubaki. Calm down. It's ok."

For a moment, Tsubaki worried she had said all that out loud, but then Black*Star continued, calmly rubbing his nose with hers.

"If you're nervous, it's up to the Great Me to make you comfortable, right?"

Dazed, Tsubaki could only nod hesitantly. What did that even _mean_?

"Good. Now _relax." _With that, Black*Star propped himself on one hand (Tsubaki was suddenly reminded of all the hours he had spent holding himself in just this position, and how she had always surreptitiously drooled over it)and reached down in between them, stroking careful fingers over the curly hairs that protected her sex. Tsubaki arched her back as he continued southerly, rubbing small circles along the slick folds between her legs. The delicious pressure building in her stomach bade Tsubaki to spread her legs for him, and Black*Star hummed in satisfaction when she did. Soon, Tsubaki had become so totally focused on what Black*Star's fingers were doing, that she had forgotten about the subject of penetration entirely. She was reminded when Black*Star slipped two fingers inside of her, rubbing along the inside of her.

Tsubaki nearly cried out when he crooked his fingers towards her belly. From the look on Black*Star's face, he hadn't meant to do so, but when he realized she had _thoroughly _enjoyed that particular ministration, he made a point to remember doing so in the future. Ah- the future…

Black*Star began to pump a slow yet steady rhythm and leaned down kiss Tsubaki's ear.

"Does this feel good, Tsubaki?"

She moaned in response, bucking against his hand, already used to the invasion and wanting more.

"Tsubaki. I hurt you, didn't I?"

She didn't respond. She didn't want this to stop; she didn't want the heat mounting in her sex to have a chance to cool.

"I don't want to hurt you ever again. I just want to make you feel good from now on. Tsubaki. Let me make you feel good. Please, Tsubaki. Please let me do this for you."

Deep down, underneath the escalating sexual desire, Tsubaki understood exactly what was going on. This was no declaration of love, yet she had never expected that from him. This was, however, the only thing that could make up for him not being in love with her – he accepted her feelings, understood that he had hurt her, and wanted to make up for it.

Oh, and the fact that he desired her, and wanted to be inside her in the worst way.

She could think of worse things…

Faced with such a seductive opportunity, Tsubaki's prudence collapsed without protest. She pulled her face to hers for one last scorching kiss, and then whispered, "Slowly."

Black*Star nodded. He was not so oblivious as to not know about the pain associated with women and lost virginities. He propped himself on both arms again, carefully settling himself in between her thighs. A wayward thought derailed him, however.

"Are you…do we need a condom?" Panic almost caused him to lose his erection. He didn't _have_ a condom. To his knowledge, neither did Tsubaki. Oh Shinigami, they couldn't have unprotected sex!

"It's ok, Black*Star. Before I left, Blair hooked me up with some witch contraception…she said that if the woman takes a potion, it's more effective than the man wearing a condom."

"Did you plan on…?" Black*Star trailed off, realizing he didn't know whom she might have planned on having sex _with. _ The thought of her shacking up with Kid made him want to fuck her into the mattress so hard that she would never be able to think of another man again.

Tsubaki shook her head vehemently. "No. It was just a precautionary measure." She looked up at him, and almost as if she could read the thoughts making him scowl, she continued. "I wouldn't have had sex with Kid, anyway. It wasn't real."

That did it for Black*Star. This last proof that Tsubaki loved him – not Kid, not Soul, not _anyone else_- shoved all else behind him, and with the satisfaction that a male experiences when he takes the one woman who belongs only to him, he pushed into her.

_Oh Shinigami_, _this was…this was… _Tsubaki tried to find the words that defined this experience as she simultaneously gripped the comforter and willed the ache away. She was full, she was in pain, and now that the first shock of it had passed, she was growing uncomfortable with his stillness. He was just _holding_ himself inside her, and that was almost as weird a feeling as him being inside of her.

"Are you ok?" He was breathless, and she tried to swallow back the rest of the soreness.

"I- I think so." The pain _was_ fading, and the coil of desire was beginning to make itself known again. Tsubaki relaxed further, realizing that she had automatically tensed against him, and the pain receded further.

Black*Star began to move above her. At first, it all felt strange and almost exclusionist – she could see by the look on his face how enraptured he was by the experience, while she was still coming to terms with it all. But then he balanced on one hand again, and brought the other to where their bodies merged.

"Wrap your legs around me, Tsubaki." He ran his fingers over the nub of flesh that shot jolts of electricity all throughout her body, and Tsubaki had no choice but to obey. His fingers were sparking her passion, yet it was a fuller, more vibrant level of desire now that he was inside her as well. He began to thrust more deeply, yet the pain was offset by the pleasure caused by his fingers, and Tsubaki soon found herself moaning as her body climbed towards its fulfillment.

Black*Star was well on his way as well – he was thrusting hard and fast enough to leave her sore for days, yet as long as she continued to moan like that in his ear, he was by no means going to stop. Of course, if she didn't come soon he might end up dying first… His fingers increased their pace, desperate to make her come with him.

His efforts were duly rewarded. He felt her tense and begin to shake beneath him, and the way she spasmed around his cock was enough to send him over the edge.

"Tsubaki!"

Far away she heard him call her name, but she was too distracted by the brilliant flashes of pleasure inundating her skin. She had never come this hard, not even when indulging in her wildest fantasies. She suspected it had everything to do with her partner: the man she had been in love with for about as long as she'd known him, and the one who was currently attempting to lodge his face into her neck.

"Black*Star? Are you ok?"

"Mmmmm."

"Did you like it?"

"_Mmmmmm."_

Tsubaki giggled, utterly pleased that she had sated her technician. She only giggled harder a moment later when she felt him begin softly snore against her neck. Yet she too was exhausted. It had been a long day, and an even longer week, and soon enough Tsubaki felt herself slipping into slumber alongside her technician.

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That night, they both dreamt of an endless expanse of night sky, lit by the effervescent, beautiful light of the stars.

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**I would just like to say that I've written circa 8500 words (yesterday), in finishing off this and Rubicon. If anyone has a writing they schedule they'd like to recommend, I am more than willing to hear all about it. **

**As always, the chapter is unbeta'd, so any criticisms or comments are greatly appreciated. I'm sorry for the late update, but I hope you enjoy it!**


	5. Day 5

**Day 5: In Which Things Get Serious, Belated Truths are (Sort of) Revealed, Just About Everyone Gives In, and Tsubaki Attains a Master's Degree in Cock-Blockage. **

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**Don't own Soul Eater.**

**First of all, I want to thank everyone who has lurked, reviewed, and otherwise stuck with me on this. Getting reviews in my inbox pretty much makes my freaking week, and it definitely makes me want to write more. And as you probably have figured out by now, I need all the help I can get (haha…) Thank you so much for your support! I hope you continue to enjoy :)**

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Soul wondered if it would break some sort of Partner Code if he attacked Maka with her own dictionary. Maybe not Partner Code, more likely Planetary Rule... Would he endanger the earth's axis if he plunked a good one down on her noggin? He sighed. It didn't matter in the slightest, as Cool Guys did not attack Girls, regardless of whether they were their Technicians or not. Not even when said Female Technicians had avoided their Cool Guy Weapons _all damn day._

It was Friday, Day 5 of the Nyne attacks, and Soul was seriously cranky. Blair had kept him from attaining any substantial amount of sleep for two nights in a row now, almost like she _knew_ he was attempting to find relief in his dreams. He just couldn't understand it – dreaming of Maka was harmless, as opposed to enlisting her aid in acting out certain kitchen fantasies that _were all her fault. _At least Blair wasn't hindering his waking thoughts…the one perk of Maka's disappearance was that he could (_finally) _spend the dayon a hot date with his bed and a box of kleenex, mentally categorizing all the things he wanted to do to her (a startling number of which were located in the kitchen).

Coming five times had quieted his sexual desperation, but his moodiness would not be assuaged. He wouldn't deny that he was worried; he hadn't seen Maka since Wednesday evening. Where had she been all Thursday, while he had been engaging in his rampant self-service fest? Certainly not in school, which he _had_ attended (without her) for the first time in the history of…ever. She wasn't in either apartment, (_and he was going to have to have a word with Blair about leaving condoms lying around their apartment…no one needed to know about the well-endowed men Blair was seeing_) and judging by all the concerned questions, none of their friends knew either. He _could _have just asked Sid, but he didn't think the teacher would know. Stein would have been better, but he was gone on The Mission, thankfully along with Spirit, Black*Star, and Tsubaki. That was the only thing that kept Soul from panicking – at least he knew she wasn't with Black*Star.

_How can you be so sure? What's to stop her from getting on a plane to Bulgaria, and meeting up with him there?_

Stop it, Soul told himself. She doesn't know where the mission is. Besides, I trust her. She _won't_ go haring after Black*Star.

_You trust her, but you don't even know where she is. Or where she slept the night last night…_

Soul punched the counter, feeling worse than useless. He _didn't _know where she slept last night. She had called, briefly, told him she was fine, and that she was spending the night with a friend. A friend that just so happened to not be anyone he knew, as he could account for the whereabouts of all their friends, and she was not with any of them.

Soul scowled. He hated it when she went off on her own, determined to fix the problem without him. She had long acknowledged that he was not just a weapon, that he was her partner and closest friend, but she still had an independent streak a mile wide. And truth be told, he hated feeling useless. He thrived when he knew that he was needed, and that _he_ could _help._ Especially with her, when he was literally the only one who could – their soul resonance was now legendary among the students and their older counterparts, having surpassed Spirit and Kami's vaunted connection. She had once told him that without him she was nothing; that all her strengths meshed so perfectly with his, that she could hardly function without him. He hadn't told her, but that was one of the best things she had ever said to him. It wasn't the, I Love You and Desire To Make Passionate Kisses With You speech he had been dreaming about with greater frequency since he turned 15, but definitely top three.

Bottom line: he hated when she was away from him and there was nothing he could do about it.

As if she were capable of walking the line of his thoughts, Soul heard the door open and a hesitant, "Hello? Soul?"

Breathe deeply, and strive for calm. Do not lash out with her, dictionary or no. Also a bad idea is pushing her down onto the couch and removing all her clothing with your teeth. Just stay calm, and-

"And just where have you been?"

Soul's scowl grew as Maka cringed guiltily. Great. Not only had he disobeyed his internal prompting, (_but_ _at least he hadn't gone with Option Two)_ he had also made Maka feel bad. He could have feigned worry, and this confrontation would have moved in a whole different direction - now he wouldn't be able to hug her, _and_ he felt like a dick.

Stupid Nyne, he should just hand in his cool card right now.

"I was just…I _told_ you, I was with a friend all day yesterday, and I decided to sleep over with her…" Maka trailed off hesitantly when she realized Soul's odd, almost hostile glare wasn't going away. Why in Shinigami's name was he so mad at her? She told him she was fine, so why was this such an issue? Maka felt her hackles rise, and began frowning back at him. She was _not_ going to feel guilty about this, especially when she'd been practically chased out of the apartment by all the…_dreams_ they'd been having!

Maka had spent all yesterday compulsively obsessing over what the dream resonance had meant, why it had happened, and just _who_ had been the one controlling the dream. That was followed by whether Soul remembered the dream, and how _he_ felt about it. This was all capped off by the decision to never think about it again, a resolve that was promptly disregarded the next moment in the painfully repetitive mental cycle that was how she spent her Thursday. Yet to be honest, if Blair hadn't told her about the soul resonance, she would have never suspected the dream to be anything other than what it had appeared to be – after all, this was not the first dream of that caliber she'd entertained. Well, the kitchen part was new, but there was a lot to be said for the spontaneity of dreams.

If _she_ hadn't known they were connected, she wouldn't expect Soul to have realized what was going on. That was what she was banking on now that she'd returned…after all, it would probably look more strange hiding from him than not. Too bad she'd only figured this out after a night of protected sleep in Stein's house…

"Right. And that's why you skipped school, too? That's not like you, Maka." Why was he antagonizing her? She was _right there_, and all he wanted to do was crush her to him and never let her get further than five feet of him ever again. He realized he was clenching and unclenching his fingers only after he saw Maka's gaze drop to his hands.

"Forgive me for acting a bit unlike myself, _Soul._ I was working with someone to counteract the effects of the _liquid spell _I am under_, _and had already cleared my absence with Shinigami-sama, if you must know." For, of course, that was the other half of what Maka had been doing all yesterday. It was a counterpoint to her destructive thoughts. Every time she thought of how badly she wanted that dream to finish, and how seductively easy it would be to run home and lick every single damn spot of Soul's body (she would start with his finger, just for old time's sake) she would work that much harder to see if there was something – anything – she could do to dull the effects of Nyne. Working with Marie-sensei had been essential her plan, as had utilizing Stein's laboratory. She had hoped that Stein might have a book or two on witch magic that she could use, but that sex magic area of Stein's library was sadly underrepresented.

Stupid Stein with his stupid asexuality…

So, she had turned to practical experimentation. Marie had been eager to help and eventually they hit on resonating, using Marie's calming abilities to settle Maka's now-rampant sex drive. It had been embarrassing to let Marie see just how much she wanted Soul, (and that secret had been unable to be kept with Marie's perception and experience. It helped that she already suspected Maka's infatuation, and swore never to tell Soul) but it was the only thing that had ended up working. Thanks to Marie's efforts, Maka felt far less swamped by the fuzzy mix of desire, frustration and self-disgust that had nearly driven her to the breaking point.

"Working with someone? Working with _who?" Just why can't you rely on me, Maka? Why didn't you ask me for help? Am I not good enough?_ Soul knew he wasn't thinking reasonably at this point. After all, studying was pretty much his least favorite thing to do, less enjoyable even then fighting Medusa.

"I wasn't aware that I needed your permission for breathing, _Papa."_ Ok. That was petty. She knew that she was simply reacting to his anger, easy enough to do when they were within five feet of each other once more, and the urge to resonate was tugging at her soul. She wanted to resonate with him on every level – mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically - yet she still relied upon her iron will to hold her desires in check and not give into Nyne. So she clashed with him, not giving credence to the thought that he was doing the same thing for the exact same reasons.

"Godamnit, Maka, don't give me that now! Not when we're all in crisis mode because of your lapse of judgment!"

"My 'lapse of judgment' is not what got us into this mess, Soul Eater Evans-"

"It doesn't matter _Maka Albarn_ we're still fucked regardless-"

"Don't swear at me!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

They paused, staring at each other and breathing heavily. They had moved closer to each other in their blind rage, and only now picked up on the danger signs. They were too close. They were inflamed, and it would be too easy to transform their anger into passion…

Soul couldn't take it any longer. All his efforts the day before (_five times! And that had been a record, too!) _meant nothing to him now, and he wanted her. Right now. There was a futon to his left (her backpack was on it, but that could be easily pushed to the floor or simply ignored) and if Maka wasn't on it, naked, in the next twenty seconds, he would not be able to answer for himself.

He stepped closer to her, one small gesture away from embracing her, when her whisper cut away the rest of his anger entirely.

"Soul, stop."

So ingrained was the instinct to follow her commands that Soul did. His arms were awkwardly frozen in place, an obvious distance away from his body. He tried to care that his cover was practically blown, his intent to hold her obvious, but he couldn't. Not when he was this close to finally, _finally_ touching her.

"I know that it's your mentality. Because you're my weapon, and I'm your technician. But you can't…you can't protect me this time. You can't help me with this. It's different."

Soul was having an extremely difficult time deciphering what Maka was talking about. Was it what he thought she was talking about? Or was she simply continuing from their argument, with no deeper meaning attached to her statement? When had he become so paranoid? He suspected sleep deprivation.

"Maka, I can protect you from _anything_." Yeah. Nyne coupled with sleep deprivation, for sure. Otherwise, he would never have had the courage to say that, his voice lower and far more serious than he had planned on it being. "You just have to rely on _me_." He was looking at her so intently that he was sure she could not miss his meaning. The air between them was so sexually charged, so full of tension, that there was simply nothing else his words could imply. He was practically looming over, her scent was washing over him like a call to madness, and their eyes were so wide and dark it all seemed inevitable. She just had to hang her head and sigh, or lean in closer to him, or better yet do _nothing_ and simply let Soul take the last few steps before they found themselves entwined in each other's arms.

"Maka." His voice dropped even further, and he could feel all levels of awareness that were not currently focused on the woman in front of him shut down, so that he could better experience her with those that were. "Let me _help_ you-"

"Even you can't – can't protect me from myself!"

The words ripped from her throat in a strangled, stuttered mess, but it was effective. It not only made him pause, but it also partially cleared his mind from the sexual torpor it had surrendered to. The thought that his technician – _his Maka_ – was under attack from the one person he couldn't protect her from momentarily boggled his mind. Instinctively, he wanted to say _yes I can_ so badly. But he couldn't. After all, when it came to her, he couldn't even save himself.

"Don't try and help me, Soul. I can't…please. _Don't_." With that, she turned and walked out the door, leaving her backpack behind on the futon. Soul was so stunned by the sudden reversal it took him several moments to realize what had happened. It took several more to react, when he spun and kicked the futon so hard he felt the reverberations of pain travel up his shoe-clad foot to his mid-thigh. The pain halted any intelligent thought processes for a blissful, hellish collection of seconds, but eventually the discomfort faded, and he had to come to terms with the new ache wrapping around his heart and soul.

So. He had finally gone against himself – he had practically offered himself up to her, and she had refused. She had thought he would do it only to appease the Nyne ravaging her system - oh what twisted truth! But that didn't matter – what mattered was that she had turned him down. She didn't want him, even when her hormones must be driving her out of her mind with lust. If that didn't spell out her ultimate disinterest, he didn't know what would. Clearly he was nothing to her but a best friend, partner, and weapon. All good things, but nothing with the romantic –and lately, sexual - connotation he so craved.

What could he think of himself? He had sworn that he wouldn't take advantage of her state, and here he was, scant heartbeats from trying to corner her against the wall. He sank back against the exact same wall, groaning in frustration and self-loathing. He had failed, on so many levels. Failed himself, failed his partner, failed his secret love. He hoped that she wasn't mad at him, but he also had invested hope into her someday realizing that he was the one for her, and that she loved him in return. Hope had never been one of Soul's strong points; he had always put much more faith into hard work, and goals that one could reach on their own.

Soul thought of the piano back at their apartment. He could go home and play for hours, losing himself in the dark, twisted melodies that still brought fulfillment after all these years of freedom. He could maybe even let his failure go, and transmute his pain into the harmonies he created. For a little while, he could be free of Nyne, and all the pain it had brought him.

…and then Maka would come home, and it would all begin again. Running away was not the answer. Not now, when he had practically committed himself. So what to do? Should he tell her he was Nyned? Would she consider it a betrayal that he hadn't told her? No, he thought not. Not if he explained about his conviction in his strength and forbearance. And if she didn't believe him? Should he simply let her peer into his soul and let her _see_ that secret?

It would be too easy for her to see other things, as well. Yet she knew now, she must. She had to realize how desperately he wanted her, and she should know the reason why. He had to stifle the insane, guilty idea that _this_ was the true betrayal, and he shouldn't make it seem like his feeling for her were of a short, Nyne-induced duration. Yet therein lay the road to disaster, and the end of their partnership. To salvage this, he had to "tell the truth, but tell it slant" – admit his feelings for her, but hide their depth and longevity.

Soul let his head fall back against the wall, blood-red eyes closing out the world. Deep in his bones, he could feel it: this was the end. If not the end of them, then the end of the way they were. He tried not to think about what he would be losing, regardless.

He wondered if it was in bad form for a Death Scythe to pray to his boss.

_Please, Shinigami-sama. Let this all turn out ok._

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Shinigami-sama, lord and soul of Shibusen, gazed fretfully into the mirror. There were many different mirrors in his domain, and lately all had been getting quite a bit of use. After all, they were the best way of contacting the outside world, and keeping in touch with those whom he cared so much for. All the students of Shibusen were precious to him, and the connection did not fade as they aged and went off into the world. Although most did not realize it, they all carried a piece of his soul with them, the result of years of memories and experiences from their time in Shibusen.

That is why Shinigami-sama was so concerned right now. He had felt the first stirrings of chaos several weeks back, but had not assigned any particular importance to it. After all, it was not the dark, insane chaos of the kisshin, but a more lighthearted disorder. His first reaction had been to chuckle, and wonder what Excalibur was up to these days…perhaps he was actively recruiting students? But then it had spread to the members of Spartoi, and the danger of the situation finally became recognizable. The members of Spartoi had earned his special attention, and Shinigami-sama had interested himself in their interpersonal relations throughout the years. He could see the way the wind blew between all of them, and knew the nature of the mischief was going to hit them all hard. These young people had stood against witches, kisshin, and insanity itself without breaking apart – yet he feared that this potion could destroy their partnerships, if not their faith in each other _and_ themselves.

He had heard Sou- Death Scythe's prayer, just as he had seen the interaction between him and his technician minutes earlier. Halfway across the world, he had listened to Black*Star and Tsubaki's heated argument (he hadn't eavesdropped on the passionate reconciliation, although he did sneak a guarded peek several hours later to make sure everything was all right) and had hung his head in shame. How could he have been so careless as to let it all come to this? He had known of the love potion sweeping the school but he had thought it a harmless trick. The damage done (and sometimes, there was no real damage at all…look at Ox and Kim, for example) had seemed no different than what usually occurred after a drunken bender, or a week of concentrated teenage angst.

Now he knew better. Nyne was well on its way to tearing his favorite young people apart, and it would be up to him to stop it. He couldn't do anything about the effects of the drug, nor the situation they were in…but he could go right to the source. Something was behind this mischief, and he fortunately knew how to stop it. The gods of chaos were varied and ethereal, and almost impossible to pin down. Yet that meant that they couldn't directly move the players…so they would have appointed someone to move for them. Often, the vehicle didn't even know it was being directed by the lords of misrule. That made it slightly more difficult to pin down whom he had to find and free from the control of the capricious gods. Still, all he had to do was to look for someone who was acting unlike themselves, and who wasn't too naturally opposed to chaos…

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Standing in the middle of Club Fabulous, surrounded by the sexiest people in Shibusen, Patti sneezed. The violence of the action was enough to make Kid look over, momentarily distracted from searching out their contact.

"Are you all right?"

Patti nodded, distracted. She threw a quick smile in Kid's direction, for once not wanting to engross his attention. After all, they had a contact to meet, and judging by the gravitas of Shinigami-sama's demeanor, it was an important one.

Patti hadn't paid attention to the description of their contact. She had been far more interested in reliving choice bits of her earlier conversation with her nee-chan, and the subsequent revelations.

"_Patti…are you sure you know what you're doing?"_

"_Of course, nee-chan! I've got it all planned out: show Kid just how good I can be, and then wait for him to realize that I'm what he wants!"_

"_And that's why you're pretending to be Nyned?"_

"_I didn't hear that! I don't know what you're talking about! Also, you can't prove anything."_

_ "Patti…" Here, Liz had raked a hand through her perfect hair, mussing it. It was an indication of just how concerned she really was. "Patti, I know that you lo-lov- have feelings for Kid. But this doesn't feel right. You should just tell him."_

_ "But- but nee-chan…if I don't do this, he won't ever see me as a woman! I'll be just his weapon forever!"_

_ "Patricia Thompson! We are _never_ just weapons! Whether Kid ever…wants you back or not, we're _never just weapons. _And no matter how much you want him, Kid is not just a man to mess with. He's our best friend and technician, and he deserves our respect."_

Patti had been ashamed. She hadn't thought of it like that, and she realized that she had been acting selfishly. Worse than that, she was the reason her other best friends were caught up in this hormonal maelstrom. She had made everything so much worse, and it wasn't even for a good reason: she had wanted Kid, and had acted on the opportunity presented to her.

It hadn't taken her long to accept that her sister was right. What she was doing was wrong. Of course, that led her to the question of what she should do about it. Should she admit everything to Kid, and clear her conscience? Or should she simply go along with it, and do everything in her power to make up for it later? After all, it wasn't entirely her _fault_ – she had messed it all up, but it wasn't her harebrained scheme that had set it all in motion. Technically the only mistake she had made was shoving Black*Star, but how was she to know Maka would turn around so suddenly, or that Black*Star would careen into her instead of his weapon?

_"He's our best friend and technician, and he deserves our respect."_

Patti glanced over at Kid, so handsome and odd. She had never dreamed of falling in love with him, and it had taken her totally by surprise when she did. Getting him back from Noah had been the beginning of something insidious and eventual, however, and now she found all his eccentricities endearing and natural. Although his anti-fan club in Shibusen sought to marginalize him by making him into a caricature of his flaws, everyone else had long considered Kid to be a man of more strength and intelligence than oddity. Patti didn't want to let go of the man he had grown to be, especially when he was beginning to be so receptive to her advances! After all, he had chosen her to accompany him to the club tonight, barely demurring when Liz announced she had a date. The date was taking her to the club as well, so it wasn't like she wouldn't be here, but…but Kid had wanted her to come anyways, showing that he was no longer frightened of her, perhaps even showing his acceptance.

_"He's our best friend and technician, and he deserves our respect."_

Liz had trusted her to be alone with Kid tonight. Liz was her beloved onee-chan, and Patti _hated_ letting her down. She had done so much for her, back when they were on the streets, and during this whole Nyne debacle.

_"He's our best friend and technician, and he deserves our respect."_

"Kid?"

He swung his gaze towards her, after directing a nod across the floor. "All right, Patti. Here we go." He took her by the hand, clearly expecting her to transform.

"Wait, Kid…I have to tell you-"

There was no time. The contact was walking towards them, and although Shinigami had sworn the man was friendly, she could feel the tension rife in her technician's body. Allowing to herself that this really wasn't the best time, she surrendered herself to Kid's expertise, hoping their rendezvous wouldn't take too long.

…

…

…

…

…

Maka reviewed her options. She could A) create an elaborate diversion and escape when Liz's attention was elsewhere; B) demand Liz go weapon and fight her way out; C) drink the suspicious concoction the bartender placed down in front of her, or D) sit there like she had previously, desperately pretending she was somewhere, _anywhere_ else.

She decided to go with "D."

"C'mon, Maka, loosen up! It's not everyday we get such a baller assignment!" Maka cringed as Liz waved down the overworked bartender, and then proceeded to use her charms to procure another vodka tonic. She wondered for the fortieth time that night how on earth she had gotten roped into acting as Liz's technician for the night. Maka suspected that there wasn't even a real mission to designate her presence here, it was simply part of Operation Get Patti Into Kid's Pants. Seeing as how Liz was halfway to intoxication, Maka couldn't help but know she was right. So why was she here again?

Oh right, it probably had something to do with how badly she wanted to go home, lay Soul out on the floor, and kiss him until they couldn't remember why they shouldn't. Oh hell, at this point, she was fairly certain she would not be satisfied with simple kissing; she wanted him naked, at the very least. Their interaction earlier today had certainly increased her desire, although it had also thrown her moral compass into disarray. The fact that Soul would be selfless enough to offer up his body to assuage her hunger humbled her, as well as reaffirming her unending love for him. Yet because she had turned him down, she would never get another chance to be with him. She had effectively ended all hope for herself in that moment, allowing her respect for her partner to dictate her actions. She was proud of herself, yet she had also never hated herself more, and all she could offer herself was the cold promise of being noble and lonely for the rest of her life.

Suddenly, the alcohol sitting in front of her didn't look so bad. She picked it up and sniffed tentatively, before she remembered that she didn't know how the Nyne would affect her while intoxicated. She was fairly certain she wouldn't find herself inexplicably attracted to some stranger at the club, but she didn't know if alcohol would have any other adverse effects on the potion. After all, the last thing she needed were the effects to become augmented when mixed with alcohol… Thinking it was a lost cause but determined for some actual, non-Soul based conversation, she turned to Liz to ask her opinion.

"Hey, Liz…?"

She was texting someone. Although Maka had a limited experience of drunken communication, she was under the impression it was a bad thing. "Liz. Don't do that when you're drunk. Anyways, don't we have a mission to undertake?"

Liz looked up. She pressed _send_, pocketed the phone, and then leaned over and snagged Maka's drink. She smirked a little, but Maka was unsure whether the grin had been directed to her or to whomever Liz was texting.

"Oh, we're on a mission all right. Don't get antsy, we just have to wait for our contact to arrive."

Maka nodded firmly, glad that the evening would have some payoff after all. She needed to seriously distract herself, otherwise she was really going to go crazy. Now, to count the couples making out on the floor…

…

…

...

…

…

_If you've ever wanted to see a drunk Maka Albarn, get to Club Fabulous. _

It wasn't the most terrifying text message Soul had ever received, but he would place it in the top three. It certainly sparked the same reaction as the other two. Within a minute of receiving it, he found himself fully clothed and grabbing the keys off the kitchen counter, and it wasn't until he was practically on his motorcycle that he realized that perhaps, due to the circumstance, he shouldn't show up and save Maka's incomprehensibly drunk ass. Not because he was angry or mortified at his earlier rejection. Well, maybe just a little. It was more a matter of self-preservation, however. He assumed he would want her as much as ever the next time he saw her, rejection or no. And there was a good chance she'd be in no state to refuse him if he went and saw her now…

…oh gods that was no deterrent, was it? He straddled the bike, fighting with himself on whether he should go or call in the favor that Harvar owed him, when he received the text message that blew the previous top three out of the water. The sender was _Maka's Bastard Father._

_Look, brat. I can't get ahold of my daughter so you'll have to do. Black*Star is back early, and Shinigami-sama won't let me go to her. So even though I hate you with every fiber of my being, tonight I will allow you to protect her. Don't fuck it up. _

Internal debate over. Soul burned rubber in his effort to get to the club before Black*Star could come looking for either of them. Although he could rely on his friends not to tell Black*Star where Maka was, he didn't want to put it up to chance – judging by how his luck was, lately, it wouldn't surprise him if Black*Star somehow figured out precisely where all his friends were converging tonight.

In his haste to get to Club Fabulous, Soul forgot all about the existence of the magical cat that was currently sitting on the other apartment's kitchen counter, tail wrapped possessively around a box of magnums.

_Nya._

...

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…

Patti gave Kid precisely two minutes to express his displeasure at the contact's squinty right eye; lopsided, feral grin, and the shirt he had buttoned incorrectly, causing it to hang lower on the left side. She did not allow him to continue his rant (it would have included his horror at the man's unevenly cut hair; single pierced eyebrow, and general unkempt appearance) as she feared they would be there all night. Surprisingly straight-faced, she thrust her makeup mirror at Kid, who dialed his father, grumbling all the while.

Patti tried to distract herself from her previous resolve by focusing on the task at hand. The meeting itself had been kept short and simple, fortunately for Kid who had barely held in his horrified apoplexy long enough to hear the man's message. Their contact was a long-term spy in their service, having followed Arachne, Noah, and then Medusa at a distance, never figuring in the fighting yet always providing crucial and sometimes unexpected information. Tonight he had come to them to give them a lead on Asura's location. It would be duly followed up on, but Patti wouldn't hope too hard. They had followed many such leads before, all to dead ends…or worse.

"Of course, Honored Father. We'll be home by two."

Patti's eyes automatically flicked over to the clock on the wall. It was barely past midnight.

Kid shut Patti's makeup mirror with a decisive click, and Patti took a deep breath. This was it; she had to tell him everything now before he went off on another tangent, or worse, kept on looking at her like he wanted to do unspeakably sexy things to her.

"Well, that went better than I had feared…disregarding the man's-" _shudder_ "asymmetry, he was really more succinct than usual. Now, the rest of the evening is ours. Would you like a dri-"

"Kid I have to tell y-" Patti choked, eyes going wide. Kid frowned as he glanced over. That was odd. Patti didn't usually end her sentences so abruptly…and she almost _never_ looked anxious.

"What is it?"

"It's about Ny-" Patti exhaled in a rush, struggling not to jump to conclusions. It was the same sensation, however. It felt like something was forcing her throat shut, making her unable to tell Kid what she needed to. She shook her head. Thinking this way was simply succumbing to paranoia. She must simply be too nervous to function properly….Keep calm, and try one more time.

"Patti, what-?"

"I'm didn't-I'm not-" Patti breathing quickened, and she began to unknowingly rub her neck, as if attempting to dislodge whatever was squeezing her throat. She was not imagining this. There was something wrong, and it was trying to keep her from explaining! "Kid I'm trying, but I can't- " Was the world supposed to be this dim? And was Kid supposed to be so damn _glowy_? "I just- I just…_help me-"_

…

…_..._

…

_Causing a human to "forget" their awareness, their higher thought processes, their rationality is not a simple process. In this case, the Forces of Chaos only managed it because the girl had been their puppet all along. Even then, it had been a struggle. She had fought more efficiently than they had expected, and they had been unable to permanently sequester her in the primordial darkness. Still, the Shinigami didn't know any of this, and judging by his attraction to her, he might be persuaded to ignore the sudden change in his partner._

_Enough of that. Onto the show._

…

….

…

Kid found himself embroiled in an unexpected dilemma. On the one hand, the newfound object of his lusty affections was currently unbuttoning his shirt, mouth latched to his neck, and rubbing her body against his in a most pleasing way. On the other hand, it was painfully obvious that Patti was possessed.

_Damn. _

His body responded faster than he'd thought possible, and it was a struggle not to simply let go of his well-kept inhibitions, push her against the wall, and have his way with her. As it was, it took all of his discipline to struggle away from her – _Honorable _Father _Patti was strong _– to quickly see his hypothesis was correct. Eyes glazed; _chest heaving;_ her posture was off; _so fucking willing; _behavior a complete 160 degree switch; _take her now-_

"I want you Kid."

He shuddered. This was not the way Patti had been playing the game up until now, but the effect it had on Kid was undeniable. For a moment he toyed with the thought of allowing this to continue. After all, hadn't he wanted to touch Patti? Prove how much he desired her? Make her feel as good as she had made him?

"As I you, Patricia." His voice was low and smoky, and he could see the effect it had on his weapon. Her hands traveled low to his belt, and he leaned into her touch, running his hands up her bare arms as he leaned in. Patti angled her face towards his, her hands stilling in anticipation.

Kid was, for all his neuroticisms, a man who excelled at multitasking. This meant he was able to split his concentration into three distinct arenas, at the moment his and Patti's lips touched – to focus on the kiss, and the feel of her neck under his fingertips; to send a quick SOS to Liz through the soul link; and to complete the glowing white Sanzu lines that circled his head like an eerie halo.

His grip on Patti's neck tightened as he pulled away from her. "Now, little demon," he murmured in a voice that sounded like a promise was being made, "You're going to tell me who you are, and then you're going to get the _hell_ out of my woman."

…

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…

…

Maka had been abandoned on the dance floor precisely 3.58 minutes ago. 3.58 minutes ago, and she was still stuck in the middle of a sea of attractively flailing people, with no escape in sight. Bodies were pressed against her so tightly that all she could do was soldier grimly on, and hate Liz with a passion that she usually reserved for her Papa, daytime soap operas, and bad grades. Why on Shibusen had Liz left her like that? And how in hell had Liz even gotten her here?

Maka took a break from her internal dialogue to glare at a young man who was beginning to get a bit too frisky on her behind. Well, at least there was this – even under the influence of Nyne, she had absolutely zero desire to get it on with someone random. So far, it seemed that alcohol had more of an effect on her iron-clad inhibitions than Nyne did. Well. Except in regards to Soul.

Maka winced. Could she just live with Tsubaki? Forever? Black*Star would have to be dealt with, but he wasn't back until tomorrow, and that was Day 6. At this point, she was prepared to do anything rather than face Soul again. She knew it was immature, and that they had weathered worse arguments than this, but she was still afraid to come near him. Part of it was the hurt she could feel through the link as she ran away, but more of it was the overwhelming need to –

Maka froze and her lack of movement nearly caused a minor accident on the dance floor. Dancers close to her shot her dirty looks, but she was oblivious. All her focus was centered within. Soul was here. She could feel him. He was-

He was on the dance floor. She could see his thatch of white hair through eye-level gaps in the crowd, and she wondered at how she couldn't feel him long before this. Now the sense of him was overwhelming; along with the urge to run and succumb, at equal intensity. Yet now there was nowhere she could run to. She was surrounded by gyrating bodies on all sides, and he was barely 5 steps away (_and just how was he even pushing his way past everyone? She caught a glimpse of him bare his shark teeth at a woman who got too close and sighed) _and there was no escaping it, was there. Now that she was inundated by the music and darkness, the present yet imperceptible impetus of lust, and the Nyne coursing through her veins, she could admit it.

She no longer wanted to run.

Then he was right there in front of her, the complex, emotional, infuriating yet dependable man she was in love with. Her secret love, best friend, and partner. Her Soul. She could see the anger on his brow, and feel his worry and frustration through the link. And...wait, what was that? Was she drunk? _No_, she mouthed, shaking her head. _Why would you think that?_

But before he could respond, she stretched out her hand. He glared at it for a moment, and she could see him fighting against the inevitable. Yet before long he sighed and, after a brief yet intense moment where he gauged the determination in her eyes, his hand met hers.

_Soul resonance. _

…

…

…

They didn't enter the black room. They didn't even leave the dance floor. They floated along in a halfway stage, a smoky limbo that was empty of everything save for themselves. Both intuitively knew that there were hidden depths not (yet) to be plunged, and respected it. Both had their secrets. Yet neither of them could have denied themselves this.

They were no longer simply holding hands. They had finally acclimated to their environment and were swaying gently, an antithesis to the style all around them, but dancing nonetheless. In this grey halfway place, Soul felt his rampant sexual desires ebb, but he dimly knew that they would flow back in full force soon enough. Judging by Maka's sigh of relief, she felt the same.

_On the other side of the mirror, illuminated by the sporadic light cutting through the shadows of the dance floor, a white-haired man pulled a tall, attractive woman into his embrace. _

They were hesitantly touching now, tentative brushes of hands against warm skin. Soul exhaled roughly as Maka's fingers left a tingling trail along his shoulder blade, and his breath against her ear made her shiver. His hands began to blaze a trail up and down her waist, smoothing over her hips, lingering along her subtle curves. Maka leaned in closer, inhaling his scent, tipping closer to the madness only inches away.

_The couple rotates slowly, pressing closely together to keep out the throng of people all around them. They are oblivious to everything but themselves. _

Soul was not an exceedingly tall man. The height ratios they had established during puberty maintained themselves during adolescence, and although he has a few more years of growing ahead of him, he doubts he will grow that much taller than Maka. This is fine with him. He enjoys looking her in the eyes, and in this specific circumstance, it made it that much easier to lean forward, and rest his forehead against hers. The desire to love her was rushing back, but until it fully overcame him, he merely wanted to revel in this closeness.

_Those who drift close to the couple move away as quickly as they are able – the two are humming, a bone deep resonance that is far too personal and powerful for outsiders to long withstand. _

He can feel her heart beating, now that they are so close physically and spiritually. He can feel the accelerated rate at which the blood pumps through her veins and he knows: she wants him. Perhaps as much as he wants her. What kind of desire is it, though? Is it prompted from the dregs of the lust potion, now that Black*Star isn't in the immediate vicinity? Maka steps closer, so that they are now cheek to cheek, and Soul finds it an effort to even attempt to care. What does it all matter, anymore? They want each other. They care for each other. And with the way Maka is now touching his chest with her slim fingers, he knows the inevitable is going to happen very, very soon.

_Out elsewhere in the club, there is a shinigami threatening an eternal, intangible force, while his weapon nervously paces over her sister's prone form. Elsewhere, pushing past the laughably under-muscled bouncers, the last player makes his way onto the stage. _

…

…

…

_ Maka._

_ Yes Soul?_

_ I have to tell you something. _

He had given in. His arms were wrapped around her possessively, one hand devoted to stroking the back of her neck, and making her shiver. The fire from his body had traveled to hers (or was it the other way around?) Regardless, their bodies mirrored each other – to the same breathless anticipation, to the identical pulse between her legs. Something still held them back, however. It could be that they had not signaled their intent in that time-honored medium. Even though Soul was lightly dragging his nose over her cheekbone, closer and closer to the promised land, they had not yet kissed.

_I…I do too. _

_ On three then? _

Maka's grip on his shoulders tightened, and she unconsciously tilted her face towards his, searching for his lips. _Yes. _

_ …1-_

Soul had to struggle against the urge to kiss her before he told her. But that simply was not Cool Guys did. He could do this. He could-

…_2- _

Their noses brushed, and deep in the back of his mind, Soul remembered the image of Psyche-Maka setting a glass down on his piano.

._...3._

At the count of three, neither of them said a word. They both presented each other a jumble of images, of varying levels of strength and coherency. Yet Soul's were stronger, so he grabbed hold of one, and presented it to her.

_They were all at the cafeteria table, and Maka had just handed him her cup. Being the Cool Guy he was, he'd hold onto it for her…but not before he took a drink first. The next thing he knew, there was cool liquid on his tongue, and Black*Star rushed into Maka, and then-_

But she knew what happened next. And now she was trying to show him something, practically gripping his face in her desperation. But all he could see in her mind was his face, partially obscured by Black*Star's. Even though Black*Star was alarmingly close to her, her eyes had sought Soul out, even when Black*Star crashed into her -

_She had seen him as she fell. _Not Black*Star, _him. _Soul. She hadn't wanted Black*Star all this time. She had wanted –

"-_**AHEM-**__"_

Being dragged from soul resonance is never pleasant. Especially when you are on the verge of kissing and confessing to the woman you've been in love with since you were 12. Soul was fully ready to go all death scythe on the unfortunate intruder, until his eyes cleared and he realized who was standing in front of them.

Oh wow. Was that Tsubaki? What the hell had happened?

After muttering what sounded suspiciously like _not again,_ Maka very reluctantly untangled herself from Soul's embrace, and turned her attention on her friend. "What did he _do_?" It was not so much a question as a promise of pain to whomever had dragged Tsubaki through hell and back, and who was very likely Black*Star. Soul felt a little sorry for his bro, even though Tsubaki looked like she was barely holding it together.

Tsubaki shot an apologetic glance at Soul, then leaned over to whisper something in Maka's ear. Whatever it was, it caused Maka to gasp, stiffen, and clutch Tsubaki's shoulders.

"What? He _what? You WHAT?"_

Soul wasn't sure whether he should be worried or not. He was aware enough, however, to know that where Tsubaki was, Black*Star wouldn't be far behind, so he began to scope out the dance floor.

"Yo, Soul. Having fun?"

…Of course he'd be right behind him. Soul whipped around, knowing he was close to losing his cool, but not caring. He had been afraid that Black*Star would be angry, but that didn't look to be the case. In fact, Black*Star looked suspiciously relaxed, and none of his attention seemed to be on Maka, who was less than 5 feet away from him. Soul exhaled, but still did not let his guard down.

"Um. Kind of. What are you doing here? You're back early…"

Black*Star shrugged and finally glanced over at the girls, but his gaze did not linger. There was a strange quality to his gaze that Soul had never seen directed towards anyone, let alone Tsubaki. "Yeah well, Tsubaki wanted to get back. Stein stayed behind to do the followup." He scratched the back of his spiky head. "So uh...you wanna' bounce? Go get a pizza?"

Soul felt as if he had somehow entered another dimension. This was too surreal. Had the last 5 days been a dream or something? Why was Black*Star acting like nothing was wrong? But then he thought about it. Judging by the look on Black*Star's face, something was clearly wrong. After all, something had happened to make Tsubaki look like…_that_. Yet far more disconcerting was that Black*Star wasn't acting Nyned anymore. Unless he somehow _wasn't_ Nyned anymore… Soul glanced back at Maka, who was still clutching Tsubaki, but the girls had angled themselves so that she was able to make eye contact with him.

She caught his concern and nodded once, slowly. She angled her head towards Tsubaki, and grimaced. She pointedly did not look at Black*Star, but she also didn't attack him with her mysteriously appearing dictionary, so Soul figured the mission itself was more to blame for Tsubaki's unhappiness than Black*Star. Besides, he had more important things to worry about. He tapped his wrist and in response she merely raised her shoulders. She'd need their apartment all night then. Shit.

He turned back to Black*Star, who looked vaguely amused but didn't say anything. Sighing, he nodded.

"I saw Liz on the way in here. Let's go ask if they'll take the girls home." Black*Star cracked his knuckles as he turned his back on the girls, stretching his arms out behind his head. He made as if to walk off, but couldn't help sneaking a glance at Tsubaki before he left. Women. He just didn't understand women. Now all he could do was rely on Soul – and if Soul couldn't get it either, his god-like behind was officially roasted.

Soul was far too bewildered to catch Black*Star's stare. He was far too focused on all the weirdness that was going down. Black*Star was letting Maka leave? _And_ letting Kid take Tsubaki home? Soul couldn't make sense of it. Granted, his brain was fixated on the realization that Maka had wanted him back this entire time. That, and apparently the only thing that had stood in the way of them and some seriously delicious sexy times was his technician's iron-clad will. _Gods damnit, Maka…_

Yet before Soul could delay any further, Tsubaki was off dragging Maka behind her, cutting a swathe through the dance floor. He could feel Maka reaching for him through their link, but it was a poor consolation when he remembered how close they had finally been to…

Soul shook his head violently, and walked after Black*Star before he went death scythe on everybody in the immediate 5-mile radius. This was not cool. _Not cool at all, and I blame you, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. _

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**I am an awful updater. It is the truth; I am named and shamed. I am sorry :(**

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**Soul has a bit of a moment with Emily's Dickinson's famous line, "tell the truth but tell it slant." Thanks Em! *tips a nod***

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**Also, this fic has surpassed the 100 page mark. Woot.**

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**Reviews make us all a better person. And remind me to update. So really, it's in your best interest to leave me some lovin' *wink wink nudge nudge***


	6. Day 6

**An Update? So soon? Go me!**

**Whatever you are thinking of, I don't own it. Most likely.**

* * *

**Day 6: Wherein it is established that: Nyne Becomes Just About Everyone's Bitch, Black*Star Displays Startling Levels of Maturity, The Avatar of Chaos Emerges, and CHRIST CRACKERS (make a brief appearance).**

The hour immediately following Maka's unlikely escape from Club Fabulous was one she hoped she never, ever, had to experience again. First of all, Tsubaki held in the torrential downpour just long enough for the girls to vacate the premises, but not long enough to actually make it in the taxi. Try explaining a sobbing demon chain to an extremely frightened cabby, or anyone else, for that matter. Secondly, she had to deal with the nagging worries floating about her subconscious, fighting her other more serious worries for a moment's attention. For example: Black*Star was home, and although it appeared that his unnatural lust for herself was over, she was still nervous, and terribly embarrassed. At the very least she hoped no one would ever find out how close he came to sucking on her earlobe…or that she suspected she would have liked it.

Added to that was the vague notion that something was wrong with Patti. Tsubaki had mentioned something about not wanting to trouble Kid when he and Liz were so worried about Patti (hence prompting their unfortunate taxi adventure) and while Maka had thought nothing of it at the time, Liz had left in a big damn hurry. Clearly, something was going on there as well, although for now she just had to leave it to them. The trio had always been self-reliant, and she had to devote herself to the two issues that, in tandem, would probably drive her insane.

Said issues being:

Tsubaki and Black*Star had sex, and clearly, something went very, very wrong.

Maka wanted nothing more but to find Soul and make the same mistake.

"Thank you for b-being with me, Maka. I know you'd ra-ra-rather be with Soul right now…and I-I'm sorry." Tsubaki had turned human again when the tears slowed down, although she could barely speak clearly with her grief clogging her throat. Maka leaned over to hug her, ignoring her own selfish desires to try and alleviate her friend's suffering. She murmured to Tsubaki, and tried to block all thoughts of Soul out of her head. Tsubaki was her priority right now, even if she could still feel Soul humming distractedly through their link. She stroked her friend's hair even as she fought down Soul's attempts to resonate, and she finally quieted him down with a firm _tears are everywhere, this is not the time. _

But home they finally arrived (the taxi driver didn't even wait for a tip, that was how spooked he was) and Maka figured it was safest to bring Tsubaki back to her apartment, the one where she and Soul lived, instead of Soul's shinigami issued quarters. There they found Blair, curled around a box of condoms. The sight of which sparked the waterworks once more (Tsubaki's) and with some startled hisses and nya's (Blair's), Maka knew she had pretty much figured out the game plan of the evening. Add in some soothing tea (she'd offer Tsubaki her pick of Soul's "secret" alcohol stash, but she had a feeling that wouldn't end well) and her night was ready to begin.

…

…

…

"So…let me get this straight. You fought with Tsubaki, thinking that she was in love with Kid, and then took care of–"

"Destroyed," Black*Star helped. "Did all the work for no wage at all."

Soul glared at him and continued. "Destroyed all the baddies. Then you waited in the hotel room for her to get back. When she got there, she confessed her love for _you_, and this ultimately resulted in the loss of your virginity-"

"And hers too. I mean, she lost it, not me. But I helped."

"Look man. Just let me do this."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Ok. So you guys had sex. Sex, as you claim, that was good."

"The best sex. It was god-like."

"Uhhhh huh. So why was Tsubaki looking like she'd killed her brother again?"

"Low, man."

"I'm calling it like I see it. Also, stop eating my pizza. We ordered separate pies for a reason."

Black*Star pouted, and it was not nearly as effective as it had been when he was 14. "I'm fucking starving, dude. The red eye from Bulgaria takes a lot out of you. Especially when Stein constructed the freaking plane."

Soul shuddered. He could imagine. He took a bite of his Greek pizza (lamb, olive, feta cheese, onion, and tomato, as opposed to Black*Star's Meat Lovers, which needs no further description) and pondered how to phrase his next question. This would be so much easier if he weren't so utterly distracted by the thought of Maka, and how she wanted him right now. _Right now. _Even if it was just the Nyne at work. She wanted him back. It made him fucking antsy knowing he could be with her right now, and that they only had a few more days before he'd lose all excuse to love her and-

"Dude. Do not sex resonate with Maka right in front of me. It is weird, and I do not like it. I mean, I suppose it is better than the alternative, which is moping after Maka for another 4 years. But the Great Me is sitting right in front of you, and gods do not enjoy being neglected. Also I will eat your pizza."

Soul moved his pizza out of Black*Star range. That reminded him… "Speaking of…you aren't still interested in Maka, are you?" _Please say no, please say no, please say no or I will be forced to scythe you…_

Black*Star paused only long enough to snort indignantly and swallow a piece of pizza whole. "Of course not! The great me cannot be tricked by that Nyne bullshit for that long – and besides, Tsubaki is of greater importance. I mean, Maka is my oldest friend and all, but Tsubaki is Tsubaki."

Soul tried not to feel threatened or insulted. He wasn't sure why he was feeling both, but he figured neither were the appropriate response to this. "What do you mean Nyne bullshit? Do you mean it's not affecting you anymore?"

Black*Star sighed. "Man, what is it with you and all the freakin' questions? This isn't what I needed help with anyway."

Soul's eyes flashed, and he wondered if it would violate the Code of Cool Young Gentlemen if he forked the ninja's wishy-washy behind. "_Black*Star. Answer the question."_

"Ok, ok already! Jeez." Black*Star rolled his eyes and shook a considerable amount of crushed red pepper onto another slice of pizza. He took a swig of beer (legal or not, no restaurant refused any member of Spartoi) before he responded. "To my shame, I am still Nyned. But! The Great Me has been able to defeat Nyne's infernal trickery. After all, I'm not lusting after Maka anymore. So rest easy, oh ball-less one. Besides, it doesn't look like she's gunning after me anymore either, so it looks like it'll end well for you guys."

Soul nearly smirked before he realized that Maka had kept her true infatuation a secret, and probably would not appreciate him ousting her. It went against the grain to swallow the satisfaction of informing Black*Star that Maka had never wanted him, but he would do it. For her. Gods, he was so whipped. "Ahhhhh anyways…so if you don't want Maka anymore, why do you think you're still Nyned?"

"Well… because of Tsubaki. I did tell you how we boned, right?"

"Yes. I believe we covered that."

"Well there you go. Oy! Can we get another meat lovers over here?"

Soul felt the beginnings of a massive migraine coming on. Or was it Maka's? Seeing as how she was dealing with the other half of this equation, he wouldn't be surprised if it was both of them. "So…let me get this straight. You had sex with Tsubaki…because you were Nyned."

Black*Star took a break from waving down the entirety of the wait staff to nod at Soul. "Yep. The Great Me found a way to transfer the Nyne from Maka to Tsubaki. Although to be fair, Tsubaki must have done the same thing. And I guess Maka too." Black*Star pouted again. "Ok, pretty much everyone has owned their Nyne, at this point…"

"Arghhhhh." Soul banged his head on the table, wondering if this night would ever end. "Black*Star," he began, his words muffled from the tabletop. "I don't think that's how Nyne works. Especially when Tsubaki was already in love with you. So no, she didn't "manipulate" her Nyne. She just loved you more than the effect of her artificial feelings for Kid. And if you are honestly telling me that you don't have feelings for-" Soul had pulled his head back from the table, but froze when he looked at his friend. Black*Star, for all his tough words, was not business as usual. He did not even look marginally confident. He was staring at his hands, and was wearing an expression Soul had never seen before, not even when faced with Chrona's betrayal, and Stein's near death at the hands of Noah. This was disconcerting.

After what seemed to be an eternity of fiddling with his fingers and creasing his brows, he finally spoke. "I think that's what the problem is."

Soul's jaw didn't drop, exactly, but it wanted to. "It's a problem that Tsubaki loves you?"

Black*Star shook his head in frustration. "No. I mean, I don't exactly know, but I don't think so."

"Then what the hell is the problem?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Black*Star breathed heavily as he covered his face with his hand, obviously trying to control his outburst. He was upset. He was _really _upset. The worst part was that Soul was torn between detached curiosity and genuine concern – concern because this was his best bro here, and curious because this was the most human Black*Star had even seemed.

When he spoke again, it was quieter, calmer. "I don't know, man. I mean, it wasn't an issue until we got up this morning. The last couple of days had been awful, and after we fought in the woods…but I thought that having sex had somehow fixed all that. Now I'm starting to think it's even worse. I mean, Tsubaki is not ok. She kept saying she was fine, but it's so obvious she's lying. And it got worse as time went on. I kept trying to act like normal, like everything was fine, but she just got quieter and didn't even want to sit next to me on the plane. And you saw her at the club. She keeps trying to go off on her own so she can cry and shit, but it's not like I can't feel it when she does, and it's driving me insane! I just want her to be ok. I just want…" Here, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I just want to make her happy."

Yep. It was definitely a migraine. Soul rubbed his temples and hoped Maka didn't have one too. "Have you told her this?"

"Yeah. Kind of. I told her both last night and this morning that I wanted to make her feel good. That counts, right?"

Soul shrugged. It did to him, but to a girl? He'd have to ask Maka later. And stop thinking about her right now, godsdamnit. "So you don't love her then?"

Black*Star adopted a guarded expression and Soul choked on his pizza. Since when did Black*Star have all these facial expressions? What happened to him being painfully blunt and bursting with truth at all times? Soul longed for simpler days, before the advent of Nyne_._

Finally, Black*Star sighed, swallowed the last piece of his pizza, and looked directly at the empty space next to Soul's left ear. "I'm not sure."

Soul sputtered. "What do you _mean_ you don't know? How do you not know how you feel about Tsubaki?"

"Because it's not the same as you and Maka, ok? Yes, I have feelings for her. And yeah I think I love her. But I don't know if I love her because of the stupid fucking Nyne, or if it's because I just up and realized it now. So what can I do? If I tell her I love her and it's just the Nyne talking, I'm boned. She'll know the minute we resonate. On the other hand, I was jealous when Tsubaki looked at Kid even before I stopped wanting Maka, so it could be my real feelings. I just don't know. And I can't tell her before I figure it out."

Soul took a long moment to digest all this. "That's heavy, man."

"Don't I fuckin' know it."

"You've thought…a lot about this."

"Yeah. It was a long plane ride, and she wouldn't even sit next to me, let alone-"

"Ugh. I do not want to know."

"What? I was just going to say-"

"Black*Star!"

"…hold my hand. What? What'd you think I was going to-"

"Go get more pizza. Just go."

…

…

…

…

…

Maka's determination to withhold Soul's alcohol lasted about half an hour. If that. Between Blair's anguished mrowls and the discussion of Black*Star's generous endowment her principles were razed to the ground and even she needed a stiff one. Because seriously. A bottle of coke? Who needed to know that?

"But then he tried to act like everything was normal! And it wasn't!"

"Tsubaki, Tsubaki, calm down. It's going to be ok. Has he tried to do anything…lovey with you since last night? Did he just drop you on your ass? If so I will end him. Rest assured."

"Nyaaaa, Tsubaki chan is so beautiful, of course he must love you! He is your closest companion, no? And he said he wanted to make you happy, nya?"

Tsubaki was at the strange level of intoxication that encompassed both laughter and weeping, so it was natural when she did a little of both. She also tried to answer both girls at once, which can be a complicated maneuver when one is on their fourth whiskey sour. "No he said he wanted to make me feel good, but since then he hasn't done anything! He's breaking his promise! And all he wanted to do on the plane was hold hands!"

There was a moment of silence following Tsubaki's unexpected proclamation that ended when both Blair and Maka spat out their alcohol in perfect unison. Luckily they had looked away from each other and Tsubaki, or they would have been drenched. There the similarities ended, however.

"Nyaaa! Tsubaki is hot-blooded as well as beautiful! Black*Star is a lucky man!"

"WHAT? Tsubaki, I thought you were really upset! Not just wanting to get laid…again!"

Tsubaki covered her face with her hands. "I am a disgraaaaaace. I will bring shame upon my f- family naaaaaaaaame." Now she was sobbing in earnest. "And I kn-_know_ I'm not being fair to Bl-Bl-Black*Star, but I can't help it! It was…we were finally so cl-close to being together! And I know he ju-just needs some ti-ti-time, but _I just want him so mu-much!"_

Maka tried very, very hard not to groan as she rubbed Tsubaki's back in comforting circles. She could very easily imagine what it would be like to be in her position. She pretty much _was_ in Tsubaki's position, save that she and Soul hadn't even kissed yet. Was this what would happen to her and Soul?

Suddenly, all Maka's doubts flooded back. This was the reason she had never even considered confessing to Soul in the first place. All those years of loving him and knowing she couldn't do the slightest thing about it, because it would wreck their pre-existing relationship. She had been caught up in their lust, and had optimistically imagined there would be no real repercussions for acting on their Nyne-induced compulsions. But now, seeing Tsubaki break down in front of her, she realized that was not just optimistic, it was delusional. Soul could be so complicated, and he kept so much locked inside. And, even for all his "Cool Guy" talk, she knew his romantic experiences were just as limited as hers. Acting on their feelings for each other would be disastrous, as his were temporary, and hers were not. The guilt would destroy him. Nyne could destroy _them._

_Maka. Whatever you are thinking stop it right now. You're thinking about us, and feeling like this, and I am not going to allow it. We are not going to fall apart over this._

_ Soul, I'm just trying to be rational-_

_ Then don't. I know your style, Maka. You only think about your half of the equation, and then you try to make decisions for the both of us. Not this time, honey. Let me make this call. _

_ But when all this is over you're going to regret it!_

_ …When all this is over, are _you_ going to regret it?_

Maka sharply inhaled, and couldn't hide the quiet _no_ that slipped through the link. There was a frenzy of emotions over Soul's end of the link, but he clamped them down before she could decipher them. When he responded, she could feel the bubble of _something_ behind his voice, but he sounded calm enough besides that.

_And I don't regret anything with you, Maka. If I did, I'd have about one hundred scars all over my body I'd be bitter about. But I'm proud of them, because I got them with you, becoming what we are. And if I don't regret _that, _how can I regret _this?"

Now Maka was practically singing through her link. This was…this was better than almost kissing Soul. He'd told her before about how much she meant to him, but only as a friend and a technician. He'd never implied that he saw her as a woman. So maybe, just maybe…

"Maka-chan! Where do you keep the vodka, nyaa?"

Maka pulled from her conversation with Soul, cutting off from him halfway through his indignant realization that the girls were into his alcohol stash. Sighing, she tuned back into the real world to see both girls looking at her expectantly, vodka already in Blair's human hand. Blair had quite a smirk on her face, and even Tsubaki looked slightly happier.

"Is Soul-kun doing well?"

Maka nodded slowly, hating the blush that crept up her neck.

"Ahhh, and did Bu-tan buy the right size condoms? I figured from the size of his scythe that he would be pretty well-endowed, nyaa…but I put smaller ones in both your rooms, just in case!"

Maka felt her brain break. There was no other way to describe it. Even so, she managed to wonder if this was what insanity really felt like, as she tossed down Tsubaki's fourth whiskey sour.

"Maka! That one had three shots in it!"

Yep. Definitely insanity.

…

…

…

…

…

The sun yawned its way into dawn the next morning, although its presence was not a comforting sign for everyone. Kid in particular thought the sunrise was a mockery to his current position, and Liz cared even less. After all, Patti had not risen with the sun. What did anything else matter?

The matter of whether or not his honored father was to be consulted was taken out of his hands early on. They had barely arrived home – leaving their friends to their fates, not having the presence of mind to warn Maka or Soul that Black*Star and Tsubaki had somehow found their way to Club Fabulous – before Shinigami-sama descended upon them, took one look at Patti, and sighed deeply. He agreed that something must be done. The Forces of Chaos were still upon her, and no amount of friendliness, fear or force could induce them to leave. The game was up, but they would not relinquish their pawn until it was entirely over. His father had told him there was nothing anyone could do until the Legion of Order could be contacted, and that meant hope was slim. Shibusen was a place far more aligned with chaos than order, and much of this had to do with the nature of Shinigami-sama's soul. So Kid spent a sleepless night worrying over Patti, not having felt this helpless since he had been trapped in Noah's book. What could he do? His power as a shinigami was clearly not helping at all. Even his affinity for order and symmetry could do nothing more than annoy the power that held Patti. How could he save her? It was now so much more imperative than it even had been before, when they were merely friends. Now that he had experienced so much more with her, and cared for her in a different, deeper way than he had ever expected…The _need_ to see her wake up was driving Kid slightly crazy. He had to do something, yet there was nothing he could do except reassure Patti that everything would be all right, and harangue his father for not being powerful enough to simply expel the chaos from Patti.

The tipping point came Liz, unexpectedly enough. She was holding Patti's hand; Kid had just leaned back from adjusting some miniscule ripple in the blanket that offset the symmetry, and she suddenly burst out, "I don't understand it. How can this even be happening? She wasn't even Nyned!"

Liz's fear had gotten the best of her. Logically she could conclude that the potion (probably) had nothing to do with possession, and that the Forces of Chaos (as far as she knew) had not created Nyne as a vehicle for controlling the human race. That was a bit too organized for them. She also would never have given up Patti's secret had she been operating under normal conditions. Yet these were no normal conditions, and she loved her sister more than anything else in this world. Even more than alcohol. Even more than _hot guys._

The effect on Kid was instantaneous – he turned to stone. Liz belatedly realized what she'd said a few moments later, and even then he had not moved. Far off in the background he heard her speak, try to explain, but it did not pierce his consciousness. This…changed _everything. _

Finally, he spoke. "_Elizabeth_."

'Elizabeth' cringed. "Yes?" Prospects were usually dark when he used that tone of voice. _And her full name._

"Go get changed. We have some reconnaissance to do."

"But…but Patti!"

"Either Father will take care of her, or she will find the strength to wake herself. Personally, I think she will accomplish the latter. In any case, we need to find out just how long – and how – Chaos is controlling her. If she is indeed not Nyned…" Here Kid trailed off, unable to process the stabs of intense emotion rolling through him, "Then we need some answers. We will be back soon, though, Patti, so if you would like to be awake when we return…"

He turned so he was facing Patti, and Liz couldn't be offended at his curt dismissal when she saw the soft look in his eye as he looked at her sister. Kid was an enigma to her, but she knew the look of a man in love. This…well, it was close enough.

Before Kid followed his weapon out of the room he turned back to look at Patti one last time. All this was happening so fast. From best friend to nebulous lover in just 6 days? Of course, her actions would have to be addressed – taking advantage of the confusion to pretend to be Nyned…well, he supposed it _was_ quite flattering…

…Honored Father, he couldn't do this. He couldn't even mentally scold her when she was lying there, still as death in front of him. He would save that for when she awoke, just as he would then put a name to the emotions he was drowning in. When she woke up he would remember how it was to think clearly, and all this would become easier. With that resolution, he stepped towards her, leant down, and whispered something in her ear.

It was just a little added incentive for her to wake up.

…

…

…

Maka and Soul received Shinigami-sama's text message at 7:12 am. Both had finally fallen asleep after a long night of girl-talking, boozing, and bro-ing, respectively. Groggily, they flicked open their phones, typed a weary _hai,_ and promptly fell back asleep.

After all, they had some long overdue dreaming to do…

…

…

…

He waited about an hour after Kid had left the house. Then, Shinigami-sama moved. He made his way to Patti's bedroom, and after a moment of centering himself, hovered close to the unconscious girl. _For Kid,_ he focused himself. _For Kid._

Then, he spoke. "_FORCES OF CHAOS,"_ he boomed in a voice he had not used since Eibon had last stood in front of him. "_I AM SHINIGAMI, LORD AND SOUL OF SHIBUSEN. YOU HAVE TAKEN THIS FEMALE AGAINST HER WILL, AND MINE OWN. RELEASE HER, OR YOU SHALL FACE MY WRATH."_

Patti's mouth opened slowly, but it was not her voice that spoke. "_Leave us be, Death King. This is our game, and we shall not leave until it is over."_

_ "I COMMAND YOU TO RELEASE HER **NOW**."_

The voices spoke in many octaves, yet all sounded with the same intent. _"Then kill her. We would leave then."_

_ "**YOU DEFY ME?**"_

Their only response was a mad, shivering laugh that was tinged with insanity.

Shinigami shrugged. He truly pitied them, but he had given them ample opportunity, and they had spurned it. "Well. I tried," he murmured, as he turned to the door. The laughter increased as walked away, yet just as he passed through the doorway, another being entered the room. With a horrified gasp, the Forces of Chaos perceived who it was and fell silent – they feared no one but_ him_: the avatar of chaos, the bringer of anger, the one who had made their 1000 laws. He was indisputably the most powerful weapon ever to be wielded, as well as the most ridiculous entity in existence. There would be no mercy from this foe. They were doomed.

Then, he spoke:

"Fools who cannot obey the commands of Shinigami-sama should remain silent! Now, it is I, The Great and Mighty and Splendiferous Excalibur who shall command you. But first – a brief recital of my awesome exploits! Let me see, it was about 800 years ago now that I first entered into the hands of King Arthur, and together we-"

Shinigami-sama shut the door so the Forces of Chaos's agonized shrieks wouldn't deafen all of Shibusen. The lesser gods of chaos didn't stand a chance – all must fall before the awesome silliness of Excalibur. He wasn't sure quite how long the F. O. C. would last, but he was willing to bet that within an hour, Patti would be free.

Another wrenching scream from behind the door, and Shinigami-sama revised that estimation – this could take no longer than ten minutes. It was time to call Kid and Liz home, so that Patti could wake up to the presence of her loved ones. Then, he would have to sit down with Excalibur and see what he knew about Nyne, and what could be done to stop it.

This had gone on far too long.

…

…

…

It was a testament to Kid's fettered thought process that of all the resources he looked into (Blair, who wasn't home; the library, suspiciously closed; Stein, somewhere in Eastern Europe, apparently; and Chrona, who at least was located) he thought of asking Kim last. He knew that nobody knew about Nyne. No one came forward to claim the dubious honor of having created the most successful love potion ever created. Although with a desperate shinigami coming after them, was it any wonder?

After the awkward failure with Chrona (_"I'm sorry Kid! Medusa wasn't big on love…I'm sorry! I don't think she made this...I'm sorry!") _he was ready to regroup. Clearly, they were going about this the wrong way. If research failed, then perhaps experimentation was in order? If so, he needed a control group – were there any of his friends who had already been Nyned, and were now recovered?

Out of the corner of his eye Kid saw Liz give a subdued wave to Kim and Jacqueline, who had just walked out of a pastry shop. This was the first time in almost a week that he had seen Kim without Ox, and the oddity of it struck him. It was after this that Kid remembered that Kim was not only fresh off her Nyne stint _but was also a witch. _

"KIM!"

She froze, and it was the reaction of a woman who was unexpectedly tackled by a stray madman as she made her way out of a patisserie. In this case, it was close enough. She wasn't quite tackled, but that was thanks only to Jackie's presence of mind. The madman, on the other hand, was quite clearly Kid, who had vaulted over a 3ft hedge and then ran with flailing arms through busy traffic, dodging cars yet never breaking eye contact with Kim. It was an impressive display, and Jackie was justifiably sanctioned into going demon lantern and tripping Kid before he did who knew what to her technician. Men. Honestly.

Kim had mostly recovered her calm before Kid rolled onto his knees, and, gripping _her_ knees, fixed her with a look of sheer desperation. _Kim!_ His eyes called to her. _Help me!_

"Kimberly!" Kid said in real life. "I humbly request your assistance! It is of the gravest importance! Patricia's life –nay, her very soul – hangs in the balance!"

Kim blinked. Sighed. She supposed she should be used to Kid's theatrics by now, but this had taken her by surprise. She glanced at Liz, who had crossed the street in a much calmer manner than her technician, and was surprised to see that Liz looked upset, not annoyed like she had expected. After a second glance at Kid, she realized he wasn't just being ridiculous (as per usual), but that there was something seriously wrong.

Jackie groaned and Kim glared at her. It wasn't her nature to leave friends in need. Therefore she disentangled Kid's hands from her kneecaps (some amount of force was necessary) and helped him to his feet. She wondered how Kid's current actions fit with the knowledge she had recently obtained.

"Um, is this about Nyne?"

Kid nodded so vigorously that his head looked like it might fall of his shoulders.

"But um. I thought that Patti isn't, uh…well, Patti wasn't Nyned."

The nodding stopped abruptly. Kid's eyes grew wide. "_How did you know that?"_

Jackie groaned again, but this time Kim ignored her. She began tugging Kid along, in the direction of Blair's club, Chupacabra. When they had gone 10 steps and Kid was still sputtering, Kim hissed at him. "Not here! We have to get a room. Then we'll talk."

No one said another word until they were safely seated in a private room at the Chupacabra. Although it was technically common knowledge that Kim was a witch, it was something she didn't like to flaunt. Whether it was from a lifetime of hiding or her desire to be known foremost as a technician, Kid didn't know, but he did know that he might go mad if he had to wait any longer. Thankfully Kim sensed his desperation and as soon as the door was shut, she lost no time getting down to business.

"Ok. What happened?"

Kid shook his head. "No, no. You first. How did you know Patti wasn't Nyned?"

Jackie started to groan again but Kim kicked her. "It's kind of a long story…are you sure?"

Kid glanced at the clock. He and Liz had been away for a little over an hour now, but his father had promised to call immediately if anything changed… "Yes. Please continue."

With one more quelling look at Jackie, Kim began. "All right. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but I can at least tell you what I know. I felt really bad about helping Maka get the Nyne – I mean, I told Patti, and you probably know all about her being the dealer – and so I've been doing some research. As you can guess, it's been pretty fruitless. So out of desperation Jackie and I decided to use this trick we do at Witches Gatherings…it's pretty popular, actually, but it's not something we like to show non-witches, for obvious reasons. We didn't think we'd find out anything, exactly, we just thought it might be good for research purposes. And…well, actually, we can just show you. Jackie? She stretched out an arm to her friend, and with a tiny eye roll, Jackie transformed. After a moment of concentration, a prism of light appeared on the table.

"Ok. So by combining my magic and Jackie's light, we can project scenes from our or other witches' memories. We thought we might be able to interview Patti to find out more about Nyne, but then we heard she was Nyned. And uh, we thought it might be best to wait a couple days before we talked to her. But Jackie was there in the cafeteria the day you all drank the Nyne, and so we watched this instead." Kim nodded towards the table, and Kid realized the lights were no longer in a strict prism formation, but they were melding and swirling together. He heard Liz whisper behind him, "It's beautiful…"

But the shapes were becoming more concrete now, and he could clearly see himself and the others. He and Soul and Black*Star had just arrived, and he could even see the varied levels of mortification that most of the females at the table were experiencing. Maka looked like she was ready to bolt, and Tsubaki looked like she might die of shame. Liz looked ready to die, period, yet Patti was busy handing Black*Star his drink. Then, the scene froze.

"All right. So if we break it down step by step, here is what has happened. This is where Jackie's memory begins, so maybe Liz can clarify a bit. Do you remember what had just happened, Liz?"

She was so entranced by the clarity of the image in front of her that she almost didn't respond. "Uh, yes. Patti had gotten there a few moments earlier, and had passed out the Nyne packets. We told her this was crazy and that we didn't all need the packets, but she said if we were all Nyned there would be no one to blame. She put the Nyne in all our cups…yes, the three green ones and the blue one currently on the table, but while she gave Maka's and Tsubaki's back as soon as she mixed it, she didn't give mine back." Liz nodded in response to Kim's questioning finger, pointing to two cups on the corner of the table. "Yeah, those were ours. Later she said she only wanted Maka and Tsubaki to drink, and I guess she meant it. Then, she put some Nyne into bottles for Soul and Black*Star. And no, before you ask, Kiddo, she didn't prepare one for you. Unless you were supposed to drink one of our glasses?"

Kim looked at Kid as well but he shook his head. "There's no way to tell. We'll have to wait for her to tell us."

The two girls nodded. Then Kim pointed to a small, overlooked red cup on the edge of the table. "What about that cup? Do you remember that one at all?"

Liz shook her head slowly. "No…I don't think I remember seeing a red cup…"

Kim smiled grimly. "That's what I thought. Now, here."

The image began to play again, yet very slowly this time. Black*Star began to unscrew his top the same moment Maka stood, Nyned cup in hand. Tsubaki watched Black*Star, ready to drink when he did. Yet something had clearly occurred to Maka (Kid remembered this as well) and she turned to Tsubaki, inadvertently pushing her cup towards Soul in the process. Patti grabbed the red cup, and set it down directly in front of her. In the same instant, Black*Star and Soul raised their bottle and cup, respectively, to their lips.

Kid heard Liz groaning behind him, but he himself said nothing. He had suspected Soul might have been Nyned. After all, he had seen Soul's face when he had tried to kill Black*Star for kissing Maka, and had witnessed Soul's desperation when Black*Star had abducted her as well. The confirmation was interesting, but it was not important. What was important was Patti. Now and always.

Yet the images continued: Tsubaki drank, and Patti shoved Black*Star into Maka, who had just turned back to Soul. Kid and Liz both remembered what had happened then, although it was both disconcerting and intriguing to see it from a third party. Kid was more focused on what happened to the 3 remaining receptacles of Nyne on the table. Black*Star's bottle had spilled, and had consequently been cleaned by the school's janitors. When Patti jumped up to subdue Black*Star, she knocked the two remaining cups with Nyne off the table, where they met the same fate as Black*Star's bottle. Soul's bottle had rolled under the table, but the cap was on firmly, so he could only assume someone had either found it and drank it, or had thrown it away. That left only the clean red cup, and Maka's cup, which Soul had drunk out of, and which he had…

Oh. He had thrust it at the Kid in the lantern image. Yet his aim was off, due to his desperation to catch Maka before Black*Star crushed her, and had effectively thrown the cup behind him. Kid tried to remember if he had felt the splash of it anywhere on his body, but he simply couldn't recall. He assumed not, however, otherwise his innate symmetry receptors would have informed him.

The image froze again, and Kim looked over at the two. "So from this, we can safely conclude that Black*Star and Maka were Nyned for each other; Tsubaki for you, Kid; and Soul for Maka…although that part of the memory is difficult to determine. As Patti drank only out of the red cup, we can also conclude that she, Liz, and yourself weren't Nyned."

Kid nodded slowly, trying not to feel disappointed. Besides Soul's being Nyned, that hadn't learned anything new. He was just about to ask Kim if she knew anything about the Forces of Chaos when a buzz from Liz's cell phone distracted him. It was not as distracting as her gasp a moment later, however.

"Kid!" The urgency in her voice dragged his heart from where it should be, to the bottom of his stomach. Patti. Something had happened. Oh gods what was it?

"_She's awake she's awake she's awake we have to get there now c'mon c'mon c'mon!"_

Nothing else needed to be said. They didn't even say goodbye to the perplexed and slightly worried Kim (still holding Jackie in lantern form), they simply dashed out of Chupacabra, Kid tugging his skateboard out of his satchel as they ran.

Behind them, Jackie transformed back into a human, and caught her technician's gaze.

"What was that about?"

"I have no idea…"

…

…

…

The mission seemed interesting, yet ultimately routine enough. A rogue ex-shibusen student had taken advantage of her pale beauty and bloodthirsty habits and had convinced a small number of humans that she was a vampire with an unusual predilection for souls. She had no technician, and the coven was newly formed and largely untested, and would most like prove no challenge at all after their years of fighting against Asura, Medusa, and pure insanity. Even facing Nyne was a more difficult challenge than this!

Still, it was the premier object of Maka's focus, after awaking again several hours after receiving Shinigami-sama's text message. No matter how difficult the mission was, she and Soul would resonate. _She and Soul would resonate._ Finallyfinally_finally_ they would…they would –

Maka let out a very undignified squeal and rolled around a bit on top of the bed. She wasn't quite ready to admit to herself what exactly would happen once they resonated, but it was enough to make her giddy as she had never been before. Even the memory of Tsubaki's sorrow couldn't deter her from looking forward to seeing Soul again in just a few short hours. Ah-speaking of…

Maka wandered into the kitchen, was immediately confronted with the evidence of a ladies' night. Glasses of half drunk alcohol and chocolate wrappers were everywhere, yet Tsubaki was nowhere to be seen, so Maka assumed she had made her way home. She rubbed the back of her neck and wondered if this residual headache was hers or Soul's. But thinking of Soul was dangerous territory, especially when she had a bit of housekeeping to do, both literally and figuratively. Cleaning up the living room was easy enough, but making sure Tsubaki was all right was another matter. Matters only became more confounding when she found a sloppily scribbled note on a napkin, wedged underneath an empty tin of chocolate brownies.

_Dear Maka,_

_I have fond fund...**found** my resolve. Blair is right. To victory and chocolate cupcakes!_

_3 Tsubaki 3_

Maka frowned at the napkin, in hopes that her scowl would make matters more clear. What in Shinigami's name was Tsubaki talking about? And why didn't she remember any of this? They hadn't even made chocolate cupcakes!

Maka glanced at the kitchen. Well…she didn't _think_ they did-

The next moment found Maka in the kitchen, anxiously peering into the oven. Nope. No charred and blackened cupcakes here. She opened the fridge and all the cabinets, wondering if Nyne had caused Tsubaki to take a dive off the deep end. When she remembered that they didn't even have flour, let alone the ingredients for chocolate cupcakes, she suspected it to be true.

And where was Blair? There were times when the magical cat frustrated Maka to no end (such as every morning, when she attempted to wake Soul by means of her sexy wiles) but last night she had definitely proved her worth. She had kept up with Tsubaki's sorrows even better than Maka could; alternately consoling and castigating men, and always trying to inject a bit of humor into things. Ahh, maybe the two girls were still together? Maka groaned, wishing she could remember last night a little better, and her headache would just _go away._ Yet she knew this was the time to get stuff done. Soul was still asleep, and when he awoke, she knew that the urge to go to him would be just too strong. After all, their dreams had become quite indicative last night…

_She stood on one of the many balconies at Kid's mansion; fingers clutching the smooth, white rail. The air was cool against her flushed cheeks, and the stars, while shining with a vibrant, beautiful, light, were entirely the wrong color. She knew, in a hazy sort of way, that she was dreaming. She also suspected that there was a danger to dreaming, but she couldn't quite remember why. Something about a spell, maybe? _

_ But that didn't matter now – her lover was here. She felt his arms slip around her waist, followed a moment later by the heat of his body against her back. Next came his breath against her ear, whispering straight down into her bones. _

_ "I missed you tonight, Maka…"_

_ He playfully set his shark teeth against the shell of her ear, and Maka shivered. Her hands reached back until they reached his hips – it didn't matter where, she just needed to touch him. Her grip tightened when he nuzzled her neck with his lips. By the time he bit down lightly on her pulse point, Maka was whispering his name in varying degrees of need. _

_ "Soul…Soul…Soul…"_

_ The sound galvanized him. He spun her around and pressed her back against the railing, moving in close enough to feel her little pants against his face. He pressed their foreheads together, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, eager to attain the inevitable. _

_ "I love you." The words had bubbled up from nowhere, giving her no warning. In the instant after they left her lips, she wondered if she had actually said them. Yet she had, and Soul gave her no time to regret it, bringing his face to hers in the surreal, transitionless way of dreams, kissing her again and again. _

_ "And I you," he murmured against her lips, and Maka could feel the desperation in his words, against her lips and her tongue. "Always, ever you."_

Maka groaned and actually punched the sofa in frustration. For some reason, that had been the cue to wake her up, leaving the dream unfinished. She knew it was partially because he hadn't sounded like _her_ Soul when he said that, but Soul Eater _Evans_, the young master of privilege and sophistication. Yet that wasn't the main reason, as she knew there was nothing either of them could do to help that – he couldn't change the way he was raised, no matter how much he slouched and "slummed," as she knew his parents considered it.

What had made her awaken was her own fear. Even during the greatest dream of her life, the fear was still there. And for once it wasn't the terror that Soul would find out about her feelings and reject her, thanks to Nyne that clearly wasn't the case. Even when the Nyne wore off she wasn't too worried about Soul leaving her, because he _understood_, like he did in all things. No, what she was afraid of was something far more deeply ingrained than her love for her partner – it was the fear that she would end up like her father.

She knew Soul was honest and true, and Cool Guy or not, he would never betray her. After all, he had turned down everyone who had given him "partner requests," hadn't he? He was loyal and protective to a fault, and took his emotions too seriously to trifle with the emotions of others. Yet she? She wasn't steady as rock, as he was. And the greatest influence on her young life, much as she hated to admit it, was her father. Who was to say that he hadn't handed down his infidelity gene? After all, she had almost enjoyed it when Black*Star had attempted to seduce her…

Lost in her thoughts, it took Maka several moments to glance at the clock. It took a moment more for the numbers to register, but when they did, Maka simultaneously gasped, leapt off the couch, and swore (loudly) inside her head. When had it gotten so late? She barely had enough time to shower, take some aspirin, eat a graham cracker (they really needed to go shopping) and then meet Soul who was coming to pick her up…

The thought of Soul almost derailed her, although she delivered a sharp mental smack as she hopped in the shower. She had to focus, or even on a routine mission, they might get killed. In a vain attempt to keep her mind off of Soul, she puzzled over Tsubaki's message. Imaginary cupcakes aside, what had Tsubaki's resolve been? And why –_why – _was Blair right? That was ominous. And none of this was as exciting as the realization that Soul was thinking of her as well.

In a shorter amount of time than considered to be humanly possible, Maka headed outside, to where Soul was just pulling up on his motorcycle. His posture was nonchalant, but the look he gave her as she slipped on behind him was not. It was a quick glance, but it was filled with a dark, sexy promise that delicious things would be going down later.

Maka closed her eyes and clutched Soul.

_Just this once, Shinigami-sama, I do not require any assistance. _

…

…

…

You knew the battle was going well when the Boss Baddie had resorted to throwing boxes of crackers at you. The boxes in question were labeled CHRIST CRACKERS, and Soul had a moment to think _huh. Sacrilege,_ before the box hit him squarely on his scythe head. He then had time to wonder how exactly the B.B. had managed to deliver a perfect variation of the ever-popular Maka-chop before Maka swung him expertly, and he scythed the B.B. clean in two.

Well. That was almost disappointingly easy.

It had been less than 30 minutes since they had flushed out the rogue student, and nothing about the battle was anything to be concerned about. Hell, the most exciting part of the battle was that the box lobbed at him had a picture of a cross on the cover. Not that Soul minded. Now that the B.B.s's soul was in his stomach, he had much, much more important things to devour.

A supremely pleased grin split his face. Yet Maka was not pleased, he could tell that much from looking at her. She was…she was dejected? Disappointed? But why-ah. _Ah. _There it was, in a deep, dark corner of her mind – she was sad they hadn't needed to resonate.

Well. He could certainly fix _that._

"Maka. Come here." He gloried in the gleam of excitement in her eyes as she glanced at his outstretched hand. He wondered if she saw the symmetry in it – how she had held out her hand to him in the dance floor, and now he returned the gesture in an aisle of the evacuated grocery store. The intent was the same now, as it was then. No more pussy-footing around the topic; they wanted each other, and that was all there was to it. His resolve was unshaken, as was hers. She rested her hand in his, and her eyes met his as they whispered together.

"Soul resonance_."_

_ They were, as they both expected, in the black room. Soul had long since come to terms with his black blood and the oni within, although he never underestimated them. In this case, there was nowhere else they could go. Besides, the oni had come to rely on, if not love, Maka just as Soul did. After all, he was only an extension of Soul's soul, was he not?_

_ They lost no time worrying about inconsequentialities, however. One moment they were in the outside world, as two separate entities. The next moment found them wrapped around each other so tightly, they were as one. Soul caught at her hips, and pulled her close to him, so that he might caress her face as he did in last night's dream. Maka's hands moved sporadically over his face, to his shoulders, to his hair, not quite knowing where to perch. Soul grinned against her neck. Now, to frazzle her further…_

_ He raised one hand to steady her head, and he lightly brushed his lips against hers. Not a real kiss - he at least would need more preparation for that – but a signal of his intent and his desire. Her lips were a soft, foreign experience that he knew would overcome him, but he simply did not care. He repeated the motion yet more slowly, noticing how Maka's body had stilled against his, every ounce of her concentration settled on the touch of their lips. In a moment he would kiss her deeply, and it would be their first real kiss. Her _real_ first kiss. His first kiss period, and-_

_The decision was taken away from him, however. He pulled back to give Maka a moment to recover, but instead of doing so she surged against him, pressing her lips firmly against his. _

_It was awkward and clumsy, and utterly glorious. The sheer rush of emotion made Soul's knees buckle, although there was no time to worry about falling to the floor – there was only the time and space to learn the feel of Maka's mouth against his own. It was so like her to take the initiative, and brazen onto new territory – he should have realized that their first kiss would be no tentative, sweet venture. They were who they were, and he wouldn't change a thing. So when her lips began slanting over his possessively, he matched her passion. Between them, neither needed to set the pace. They were partners in all things. _

_ Yet here, in the heart of his soul, he had a few tricks up his sleeves. The sudden acquisition of a plush leather couch (a deep purple, to offset the black and red décor) was one such example. He slid down onto it, pulling Maka with him, never for a moment breaking their heated, unschooled kiss. She perched herself on his lap without instruction, one leg on either side of his. Soul had not expected this, but he was too lost in the sensation of her lips to shift her. Her hands were running over his face again, and mindlessly he settled his on her hips, fingers splaying against her lower back. He nipped at her lips, and for the first time she drew back, a strange look on her face. Then Soul remembered his shark teeth. _

_ "Did I hurt you? Maka I'm sorry-"_

_ "No-no. Maybe…do it again?"_

_ Soul's breath rushed out of him. He loved her. He loved her so much, and the beautiful mixture of excitement and insecurity written all over her face made him want to give her everything, forever. He pulled her close to him, determined to somehow make her fall in love with him when all this was over. He would begin with nipping on her lower lip again, tugging it gently with his teeth. This he would couple with slow, circular strokes on her lower back, his clipped nails rubbing against her slinky black dress. Then he would kiss her deeply, mouth moving ohsoslowly, forcing her to move and breathe with him. Up above him, Maka began to hum and wriggle against him, and her hands clutched at his shoulders. _

_Ah. So his plan was working –_

_She was beginning to recover, however. Her hands began to blaze an exploratory trail down his chest, pausing when they reached his nipples. She had slipped her hands underneath the pinstripe suit, so she could _just_ feel the rise of something tiny and hard against her fingers that made Soul hum appreciatively when she rubbed it. So, she rubbed a little harder, and grinned a little when his hum became a fully developed groan. _

_Soul was about to do some exploring of his own (followed by some rubbing, light gripping, and patting) when he felt a warm, tentative lick along the contours of his lower lip. Then, everything went a little hazy for a moment. The next thing he knew, Maka was lying on the couch, and he was hovering over her, staring desperately into her eyes. For a moment they looked into each other, each feeling the same heady mix of desire, fear, and exhilaration. So much could go badly. Yet this, in itself, was so _right.

_Maka reached up to touch his face. Without breaking eye contact, Soul turned his head and kissed it. Soon he would be overcome by the desire to tell her just what she meant to him. Now that they were here, together, doing things he'd only ever dreamt of, he knew he needed to tell her how he felt. He had thought that keeping his love a secret was the most important thing. That way, they could continue being together, and she wouldn't reject him. Yet now that they were here, he knew it was far more important to tell her how she felt. He needed her to know just what she meant to him, no matter what happened. _

_And if she didn't love him now – well, he would just have to work on changing that in the future…_

_He kissed her once more before he spoke, memorizing the feel of her lips, reveling in the sensation of being so close to her. _

_He opened his mouth -_

The explosion ripped them from resonance as easily as a cobweb tears under a child's fingers. The sudden change from loving to slaughter was one of the worst transitions of Soul's life, and when he saw the reason that the snack aisle of the grocery store was in flames, matters only got worse.

"_Kilik_! _What the fuck are you doing?"_ He knew he was losing it, but he didn't care. Had Kilik suddenly gone evil or something? What the hell was going on? Most importantly, _why did he and Maka keep getting interrupted?_

Kilik shielded the ears of Pot of Thunder and Pot of Fire before he responded. It was an odd scene, to see the handsome young man protecting the virtue of the weapons he had just used to trash a grocery store. "I was sent to bring you guys back. Apparently the store owner wants to open the store again, but can't until you guys get off the premises."

"Then why did you blow up a rack of food?" Maka seemed much calmer than Soul, but he could feel the frustration bubbling under Maka's contained exterior. For once, she was hiding her emotions better than him.

Kilik had the grace to look down out of embarrassment. Pot of Thunder and Pot of Fire, on the other hand, did not. They commenced making kissing faces at each other, and at Maka. Consequentially, all the color drained from Maka's face.

"Uh…yeah. I tried to communicate with you guys but I couldn't get through to you. You were kinda busy. Yeah."

Maybe the enormity of this wasn't hitting Soul, but he still wasn't sure why Kilik had to _blow up a rack of snacks_ just so Soul and Maka would stop kissing. He opened his mouth to express just how he felt about this situation, but Kilik apparently had not finished.

"Also, your dad is coming. Spirit. Something about 'doing his duty' and that he 'should have done this ages ago.'" Kilik cast a sympathetic glance at the two of them. "You should probably attempt to flee, I'm just sayin'."

Maka stuck her chin out, and both men knew that battle was drawing nigh. The glint in her eye only served to further their conviction. This was fortunate, as just that moment Spirit walked down the aisle, calmly ignoring the destruction that lay about him. He nodded to Kilik as he passed him, and totally ignored his daughter, choosing instead to lay a tired, troubled glance on Soul Eater Evans.

Then Spirit spoke, and Soul was forced to wonder if he was truly going mad, here in a grocery store. "I'm sorry to interrupt you all, but I need a word with you, Soul, if that is acceptable. And no, Maka. It's not what you think." A slight, sad smile at his daughter who had risen up indignantly against her father's request. He continued speaking in that polite, no-nonsense tone that Soul was about 80% sure Spirit had never used before. "It's connected to being a death scythe, so I'll have to ask that you not be present for this, Maka."

He had anticipated his daughter's next move. For once, all she could do was sputter.

"I don't believe it – right now? After…after this? How could it be about death scythe business? And we've never had a private meeting before-"

"Ok, old man. Let's talk."

Spirit, Maka, and Kilik all turned to stare at Soul. The Pots were off putting out the fire, but had they been there, they would have stared as well. This was unheard of. Soul and Spirit hated each other with a burning passion, and Maka knew better than to leave them alone together, save on Shinigami-sama's direct orders. One of them wouldn't survive this encounter, she just knew it. And if Soul died, she'd never be able to tell him that she loved him-

Spirit nodded slowly. He did not seem angry or even flustered, and that was the oddest of all. "All right then. I'll wait for you outside the store." With one last soulful glance at Maka, he walked away. Mumbling a response, Kilik soon followed, scooping up the The Pots as he made his way out.

"I have to do this, Maka. Please understand, I don't want to but-"

Maka shook her head slowly. "I understand, Soul. I do." She reached out and took his hand, clutching it firmly. "I guess I've known this was coming since Nyne happened, but I don't know what he meant by 'It's not what you think'…"

Soul squeezed her hand, and pulled her in closer to him. "It doesn't matter. If he wants a fight I'll give it to him, but there's nothing he can say or do to hurt me. Trust in me, Maka. I'll be all right."

They were but a few steps away from where Spirit waited outside, his back turned to them, giving them a little privacy. In a moment, Soul would walk through the door, and Shinigami knew _what _would happen. He looked back at her, heart in his eyes…

They moved towards each other in perfect harmony, their lips coming together one last time. Yet it was just a moment, and far too soon Soul had to break away from her, kissing her nose, cheeks, and forehead before he pulled away. "Nothing will happen," he whispered against her closed eyelids. "Nothing will change."

Maka did not open her eyes until she could no longer feel him, either physically or through the link. She knew that she was acting like a child. Yet she also knew that something was very, very wrong.

Deep in her heart, she knew she shouldn't have let him go.

…

…

…

…

…

**Aaaaaahahahaha what is this? An update in less than a year? Good heavens, some might say. Christ on a cracker, from others. **

**Only a few chapters left – and Day 7 will be the last day (of everyone being) Nyned! It's all outlined, although there may still be some small changes. Still. Over the hump for sure. **

**As always, your amazing reviews inspire the hell out of me. This is embarrassing, but I read them all at least 4 times. Even the 5-word ones. I am reading them again right now. Never stop. Please. **

**Special thanks to those who have left words that uplift my heart more than once: (I'm looking at you, yokainomiko, Aerophyi, boela-chan, songstar13 [also for helping me to edit!], ykansaki, ElricKeyblade, wisecurledqueen, Lueur-de-L'aube, Lacrimosa Tomboy, 70Seiji07, chibijac, The Wisdom of Me, mabello [who reviewed every chapter, woot!] and last but certainly not least, Marsh of Sleep.) **

**Oh yeah…and Radioisotopes. Heh heh. **

**THANK YOU! **


	7. Day 7

**Day 7: Nyne's Last Stand. **

**(Sexy Times, Informative Conversations with Middle Aged Men, Unexpected Confessions, and SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDINGS.)**

**Don't own Soul Eater, but I'm pretty sure you've gotten that, at this point.**

**...**

**People...may swear, in this one. And _at_ this one. *Cringes* **

**…**

**…**

**...**

Patti awoke not to Liz or Kid, but to the disconcerting dual presence of Shinigami and Excalibur. Consequently, she immediately attempted to pass back out. She kept her eyes firmly shut, but the ruse fooled no one: Excalibur had barely begun on his Saga of Excellence before Patti could take no more and heaved her pillow at him, catching him across the face and causing him to topple over. It was satisfaction itself, and even Shinigami-sama chuckled a little.

It was then that Patti remembered the havoc she had caused. Bowing as well as she could from her sitting position on the bed, she addressed the men who had saved her from chaos. "_I'm sorry._ I'm sorry that all this happened. I'm sorry I wasn't able to fight it off, and that I got everyone involved in this mess. But thank you for helping me." She glanced guilty at Excalibur, still lying flat out on the floor. "And thank you for saving me."

When Shinigami said nothing, and Excalibur merely a muffled noise from underneath the pillow, Patti continued. She did not notice the barely discernable sound of feet pounding up the thickly carpeted staircase. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. _ Really._ In the beginning I just wanted to help Tsubaki and Maka, and when I decided to take advantage of the confusion later on, it seemed harmless. It was just a way for me to be brave. But then everything went so wrong. I guess they'd always been inside of me. I'm so _sorry."_ Shinigami discreetly kicked Excalibur when Patti went back to staring at the blanket. Patti was very rarely serious, in a mature, penitent way – Excalibur could take note of her sincerity...

"I am sorry to say that I cannot accept your apology, Patricia." Patti's eyes, though trained on the coverlet, widened in shock. Oh gods...if he couldn't forgive her, what would happen now? Would she be cast out? And Liz? What about Liz? If the price of her unthinking selfishness was her sister's happiness and welfare, she would never forgive herself-

"This is, of course, because it is not I who you should be apologizing too. Yet I'm sure your friends will forgive you. What do you say, Liz? Kid?"

Patti's head jerked to the doorway, where her sister and her technician now stood. Well, where Kid now stood. Liz had begun her headlong rush to the bed even before Shinigami said her name, and the next moment found her in Patti's arms, a babbling mess of tears and sisterly love.

"_Patricia Thompson_ never do that _again_ never _ever- _I will _kill_ you if you ever get possessed again and you are never _selling drugs_ again or I will never _talk_ to you again what have I _told_ you about_ street_ thugs and you will end up like _them_ and-" Here, Liz could admonish no longer, and she broke down into tears. The violence of Liz's outburst was enough that Patti didn't notice Shinigami and Excalibur leaving the room. All she could do was hold her older sister, gripping her tightly enough so that the tears obscuring her own vision didn't matter. Even the fear that Kid would hate her forever now was of second importance to the love she felt for her sister. That she had made Liz, her beloved onee-chan feel like this was simply too much. Patti's own tears began to fall, and for a long while all was quiet, save the sniffling of the two sisters.

Kid backed into the hallway to give them a moment. Whatever his own anxiety for Patti had been, (and the urge to enfold Patti into his arms and never let her go was somewhat worrying, actually) he knew that his two girls needed a moment. The period of their lives when they were living on the streets and all they had were each other still preyed heavily on Liz's mind. The urge to protect her younger sister was strongly ingrained in her, and she had felt just as helpless as he when they were faced with a threat they could not overcome. So, Kid let them have their moment. After all, Patti wasn't going anywhere.

Eventually the girls broke apart. Liz wiped ineffectually at her eyes, muttering something about fixing her makeup and giving her sister a meaningful look. Yet Patti didn't understand until Liz glanced back at the hallway where Kid waited. Ah, know she understood.

_Don't be too hard on him, _Liz's eyes had warned.

_What? _Patti's eyes responded.

_He's had a hard time of it. Do you know how worried he was about you? Poor Kim._ Liz sighed, and her eyes sighed along with her.

_ ...what?_ Patti was just not getting any of this. Was that last part something about Kim?

_Anyways. Be safe. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. "_I'm going to go take a shower. And then a nap. A long, long nap. See you when I wake up!" With a hint so subtle Patti doubted its existence, Liz stood and made her way to the door. If she clasped Kid's shoulder on the way out, hissing something along the lines of _hurt her and I'll end you_, that is pure conjecture. Patti certainly didn't pick up on it. She was far too distracted the sudden appearance of Kid, who had calmly and quietly made his way into the room.

There was a moment of stillness. Both were so focused on each other that immediate action was impossible. Yet as Patti finally opened her mouth to speak, Kid cut her off.

"I know, Patti. I know."

He sighed and moved to the foot of the bed, seating himself in an unconsciously graceful way. Patti's heartbeat lost its place when she saw how beautiful and tired he was, the faint shadows underneath his eyes, and the way the dark strands of his hair had shifted over his face. His amber eyes, his long fingers, the surprisingly wide stretch of his shoulders..._oh shit_, she told herself. _This is not the time to be going down this road, girl. Pull yourself together! This is the time for apologies, not...not that!_

"Kid I-"

Kid was having none of it, however. There was the vague chance she might apologize for something she had no business apologizing for... "Patti, there was nothing you could do. The Forces of Chaos have been left unchecked for too long, distracted as we were with witches, insanity, and the Forces of Evil. How could you have known that you were possessed? They are powerful enough to hide undetected, until you attempted to tell the truth. There, at least, there is nothing to apologize for."

"But I – I could have told you sooner, I could have-"

He shook his head angrily, and in Patti's emotionally muddled state she thought he was angry with her. "No. This merely would have happened sooner, rather than now. In regards to the possession, Patricia, there was nothing you could do." He caught her gaze and held it. "Rest assured. You did everything you could to fight them."

_Oh Shinigami-sama why did your son grow to be this handsome? Why does he make me this weak? How can he make my heart stop and my body flush and my thoughts turn to pleasure?_

"In regards to our friends' unenviable situations, it appears that not all was as twisted as it seemed. Black*Star and Tsubaki's feelings for each other seem to have overcome the Nyne, although I'm not sure if all well between them now. But that is up to them, Patti, not us, or Nyne. And Soul and Maka were keeping secrets from us, about who they truly desire. So there's no need to worry about them. You are allowed to apologize to them if you wish, but to me...there's only one thing you need to apologize for."

Patti's breath caught in her throat. She had been frightened when she thought Shinigami-sama would kick them out of his home. Yet this was so much worse. Kid looked frustrated, tired, and one step away from angry. Here it came – the end of all her hopes for a happy ending. She knew it. She just knew it.

"The only apology I desire is for your having _pretended_ to be Nyned."

Patti opened her mouth to speak, but then her mind made sense of his words and she froze. Of course she would apologize for lying to him, but he hadn't said anything about her actual feelings for him, which were blatantly obvious and the instigation for this mess. Didn't he want an apology for that, too? Buried deep down under the all the emotional rubble, Patti found her backbone, and silently determined she would not apologize for loving Kid. It was simply impossible, and she was not going to do it.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry I lied to you, and that I pretended to be Nyned. But I'm not-" Patti had to take a deep breath before continuing. She had never confessed before, after all - "I'm not sorry that I had the chance to. To act like that. But I shouldn't have done it this way. I should have...I should have just-"

Kid looked at her with a strange, predatory gleam in his eye, and Patti shivered. She had never seen Kid look like that, not even when she was giving him the massage, or when she had glanced at him -once- during the peep show.

"Well. If we're being honest..." Kid's voice was far huskier than it had any right to be, in Patti's opinion. How on earth was she going to withstand her insatiable attraction to this boy if he wouldn't stop being so damn sexy? "I will admit, Patti. I'm a little angry with you."

Patti would have been far more worried about this if Kid hadn't started moving closer to her, eyes locked on hers all the while. Something was happening, and it was new and utterly tantalizing. She held her breath and waited for him to be clear, one way or the other.

"Oh yes. Do you know how hard the last week was for me? And all because I thought you were Nyned. Do you know how badly I wanted to touch you, but told myself that I couldn't until you were no longer under some spell?" He reached out and brushed her cheek, and Patti's sucked in a long overdue inhale. This was...Kid was- Oh. _Oh._ Warmth spread from the fingers on her cheek to the pit of her stomach, mixing with the pleasant ache until she could barely focus on his words. "So, now that I know the truth...do you know what I'm should to do to you?"

Patti swallowed, and leaned closer to Kid. Kid was being far too sexy for her to be fully in control, but she could try, damn it! "Punish me?"

Kid exhaled roughly, and it was the only indication that her words affected him. He had moved quite close to her, but it was still a surprise when he gently tilted her, so she was lying back down on the bed. "Perhaps later, Patricia. I seem to recall that I owe you...a massage, yes? I think I want to cash in on that. Right now." With a start, Patti realized the position they were in. She, lying back on the bed, and Kid straddling her. That she was facing him didn't seem to matter to Kid. In fact, as he reverently traced paths down her arms and collarbone, dipping closer and closer to her cleavage with every stroke, he didn't seem to mind at all.

"Patricia?"

"Yes, Kid?"

Her eyes were warm and hazy, and although he was about 97% sure he needed to ask before he took this any further. "Do you want me to touch you?"

Her response was a quiet _yes_, which became a hum of pleasure when Kid's fingers finally made their way down to her breasts. So perfect...so symmetrical...he could help but knead and caress, lingering when her moans became more pronounced, and her breathing more erratic. Yet his control was neither trained nor perfect, so instead of moving aside her camisole and paying homage to her nipples -without soap getting in the way, this time – he made his way steadily down his stomach, to her hips, where her sleeping pants were easily done away with.

"Now Patti. I have a very important question for you." This was accompanied by his hands tracing circles on the inside of her thighs. Slowly, he began to trail higher, until he gently traced a fingertip up and down her protected slit.

"Yes." It came out as more of a gasp than Patti would have wished, but all she could do was squirm, wishing he would just take her panties off already. He was so close, and his hands were so warm, and the heat from her stomach was now pooling down between her thighs...

"Do you want me to kiss you, Patti?"

Patti toyed with saying no, just to tease him. Additionally, she really didn't want anything to disrupt the amazing things he was doing with his hands. Yet the thought of his lips against her own was such a beautiful thing, she just couldn't deny it. "_Yes."_

Kid's arousal almost unmanned him. She was lying before him, half clothed and utterly delectable, and entirely at his mercy. She was so wet and ready for him, and she had just given him sanction to do what he had dreamed about for the past week...if not a little longer. And now, she was awaiting his kiss...so, without further ado, Kid pulled her panties down to her ankles, and bowed his head to savor the feast.

Patti's back arched off the bed, so great was her combined surprise and desire. Kid's tongue was untrained, but still felt oh so good...his mouth against her core was a delicious, alien feeling that made Patti react in a primal way. She reached down to clutch his hair, but forming coherent sentences were a thing of the past. She tried, she really did, but every time she attempted to say something even as basic as his name, his tongue would sweep along a sensitive section of flesh, and all that would come out were little hums and moans and gasps. The heat in her body was flaring wildly, and Patti wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

Kid's control was slipping. He was quickly learning (though he had long suspected) that he was the type of man who derived the greatest satisfaction from his partner's pleasure. It was partially why Patti's "look but don't touch" seduction was so effective – it had directed his fantasies, just as it had drove him a little mad. Now, all the power was rushing to (both) his head(s), and he knew he would make a fool of himself if he were not careful. Yet he couldn't stop himself from reaching up and, after a moment of desperate rummaging, locating and caressing her nipples. Symmetrically, of course. Hopefully he wouldn't disgrace himself by coming before she did...

The flare of heat and pleasure had long since mixed into a steady, thrumming heartbeat that was creeping up slowly and turning her whole body numb. It was anticipation, a hazy, instinctual part of her knew, but she had never experienced something like this before. Not even when she had pleasured herself with her best vibrator had the buildup been this heart-stoppingly good. Yet thought and comparison were swiftly becoming impossible. She was going to come, and she was going to come _soon_.

This knowledge unlocked her tongue and Patti began gasping Kid's name, half as a warning, and half as a plea. "Kid, I'm- Kid, please, _just-a-little-more-_

Kid had to let go of her breasts so he could hold her down, otherwise her bucking would have dislodged him. In the back of his mind he was aware that the throbbing in his pants was becoming a serious issue, but he was determined – Patti would come before he did. So he soldiered on, alternating his technique to fit her desperation. She was arching off the bed again, and the heat from her core was somehow increasing – and oh gods, oh Father it was so fucking _sexy._ The noises she was making would haunt his dreams, and if she didn't come _right now_ he was going to come in his pants. He put his everything into it, and prayed that she would come.

His prayers were answered. With a long, keening wail, Patti rose half off the bed and convulsed one final time. There were a few quiet whimpers and shudders as Kid traced a few more jerky circles of his tongue, but the energy had dropped abruptly. Both teens were exhausted; such an emotionally powerful experience after a night of possession and/or no sleep was enough to do them in. So, Kid heaved himself next to her, draping an arm around Patti's body. He smiled, and it was the smile of the victorious.

Then, Patti's brain began to function again and she remembered something. "Kid?"

"Yes, Patti?"

"Don't you need to come?"

Kid's grin faded a little, yet he tugged her closer nonetheless. He was simply careful to leave a little space between her thigh and his groin. "No, my dear. I'm perfectly all right."

"But..." Patti hadn't meant to scoot closer to Kid, she simply had to wiggle a bit to get more comfortable. Yet scoot she had, and her thigh brushed the now-soaked front of his jeans. They froze. It was an interesting new development, and neither of them were versed on this breach of etiquette. Kid sighed, half expecting his manhood to be impugned by his new lover, but was far too tired to summon any embarrassment.

Yet Patti was a little flattered, to be honest. Either way, they were both too tired to do anything about it right now, and she loved him too much to make him feel bad about this. So, with a quiet giggle, she angled her head up to kiss his cheek, only to find him half asleep already. Well. Turnabout was fair play and all that...but she would let him get some sleep first. Oh the things she would do with him...

Patti shut her eyes, prepared to dream of her intentions.

…

…

…

…

...

Any hope Soul had of this being a quick discussion (or even a brief battle to the death) was thrown within moments of walking in Spirit's door. Almost immediately (he took his shoes off first) Spirit was striding into the kitchen, and making coffee for both himself and his guest. When Soul noticed it was black, he knew there was no hope of getting back and _reassuring_ Maka tonight. Spirit was clearly ready for a long talk; that or the coffee was poisoned.

Deciding that Spirit wouldn't poison the only other true Death Scythe on the continent, Soul took a cautious sip. Then another. It figured that annoying as the man was, he knew how to make an excellent cup of coffee. Traitorously, Soul wondered if there was some way to influence Maka into -just once – taking a microscopic and very specific chip of the old block.

"I realize this may be a bit premature, and it may simply be a reaction to that love potion. But this is unlikely. Everyone in Shibusen knows how you feel about my daughter, and so I suppose this talk was inevitable. But, if I have it wrong, and you're not in love with my daughter – _and with honorable intentions – _this would be the time to tell me."

Soul positively gaped at the man. If he were even a year younger, he'd have started drooling. This was...this was _exactly_ what he'd thought the talk would be. He wondered why he'd gotten all worked up about Spirit's ominous hint – 'It's not what you think'. Thank Shinigami he'd already rehearsed what he'd say to Spirit about his daughter, somewhat obsessively. He knew it was impossible, but he wanted Spirit on his side. Or at least, not _against_ him. After all, he had the matter of his own parents to win over...

_Not the time,_ he told himself. _Future father-in-law is waiting. Do not fuck this up._

"I'd like to tell you that not only do I have the best of intentions, but that I am actively working towards them. However, I haven't told Maka this yet. Any of this. I mean, currently she is Nyned, as you know, so I'm not sure how I can make that conversation work. And – oh, but I should tell you – I mean, it is your right as her father to know that you don't have to worry about Black*Star anymore." Soul caught Spirit's jerky nod and grimaced in return. "Yeah. That was awful. And never happening again. He's over it, though, so there's nothing to worry about there. And as you may have noticed from the grocery store, it's not an issue for her, either. But that's not what I'm really trying to say. What I'm trying to say is-" Soul took a deep breath. He thought about his personal dislike of the man sitting in front of him, and how he had vowed to be a stronger, surer man than he. "I love her. As...well, as you said everyone in Shibusen knows. _But Maka doesn't know. _ And I'm...well, I'm not telling you this to get your opinion or anything, but I have to admit that I have no idea if Maka loves me back. I mean, she does, but I don't know if it's just as a best friend, weapon, partner, whatever...or if she loves me as a guy." Soul's long fingers fiddled with the coffee mug, waiting for Spirit to blow up. Hard as it was to admit his feelings to Maka's father, it was made stranger still by Spirit's quietness. Soul would almost say it was maturity, but for the occasional, fleeting grimace Spirit would make, as if he was trying his very best to contain himself.

"Honestly, I want to be with her for the rest of my life. I know that she has...some things she might have to work through in regards to commitment...or marriage. I understand, and I will wait and help her as much as I can. That's if she loves me back though. First steps first, I guess. But if she does, or ever will in the future..." Soul held his eyes shut for a moment before opening them and meeting Spirit's - whose gaze reflected a curious mix of resignation, exhaustion, and sorrow. Soul noted this but did not back down. "Then I'll come back, and tell you that I will marry no one but your daughter, and that I will never hurt or betray her." Soul exhaled in a rush, squeezing the hell out of his coffee mug. There. He had said it, and maybe it wasn't the most eloquent speech he'd ever made, but it was sound, and it was out there. Let Spirit just _try_ to argue with that!

Spirit didn't. He merely took a sip of coffee, swirled it around his tongue, (_like a freakin' connoisseur, _Soul thought darkly) and calmly said, "That's what I thought."

When it was obvious that nothing else was immediately forthcoming, Soul banged his coffee cup on the table, almost sloshing the delicious liquid. "Well then...damn it! Why did you make me say all that? Do you have any idea how _hard_ that was? Especially when I haven't confessed to _your daughter_ yet?"

Spirit winced, and actually looked vaguely guilty. "Yes. I know exactly what you're feeling. I had to deal with Kami's father, after all... but I had to be sure. Otherwise- well, otherwise I wouldn't have to continue this talk with you." _Stupid Brat, _Spirit's eyes completed his thought.

_Like I want to talk with you either. _Soul rolled his eyes. "So what is the point of all this, then?"

Now it was Spirit's turn to look discomfited. He didn't take a deep breath as Soul had, but it was a close thing. "It's this: as a Father, you are my worst enemy. You are an unwanted, shark-toothed brat who somehow has the sense to understand and appreciate the worth of my daughter. I refuse to acknowledge any of your good merits save that you will protect my daughter with your life, you love her, and as you clearly wanted to say, you will never make my mistakes."

Soul was grinding his teeth. If Spirit wasn't reciting this as if by rote, he would have leapt across the table by now, scythe arms extended. Yet Spirit wasn't done.

"As a man, however, and a fellow Death Scythe, I feel as if I have no choice but to warn you."

Wait, what?

"Maka is undeniably the love and pride of my existence. I'm sure that's obvious. Part of why I feel this strongly is because she is so much like her mother. But that's also why I'm warning you. Maka is a lot like her mother. And – you don't understand what I'm trying to tell you, do you?"

"I understand that you're saying Maka won't flirt with, cheat on, and sleep around with everything that crosses her path. Not gonna' lie – that's a damn good thing."

Spirit grimaced, but shook his head slowly. "Yes, but that's not what I'm referring to. What do you know of Maka's mother?"

Well, that was a difficult question. He knew _of_ Maka's mother...but nothing that seemed like it would be the point of this conversation. "I know about how the two of you were a famous team, but I doubt that's what you're talking about. I know she left you right before Maka and I met, and that Maka is really proud of her for doing so. Maka really looks up to her mom, as a person and as a technician...she was the inspiration for Maka working so hard to make me a death scythe."

Spirit was nodding now. "Yes. Kami was -is- an amazingly strong and determined woman. Her dream to become the most powerful and well-rounded technician, as well as her formidable skills and intelligence set her apart from an early age. As it has Maka. And as a _friend _and _partner_, there's nothing else you can ask for, is there?"

Suddenly, Soul had the sinking feeling he knew exactly where this was going. He understood too well the loneliness of being with a driven partner...and had seen the effects first hand on his parent's marriage.

"Kami was a woman who changed me. When she focused on something, she gave her complete attention, and I found myself desperate to keep that attention of me. It was easier than you'd think to turn from my seductions and devote myself entirely to her. I loved her. I love her still. And back then, I'd do anything to be with her.

"For a while, it was as you said. We were the dream team of Shibusen, and it seemed that there was no limit to our future. We were young, powerful, in love. And then Kami found out she was pregnant."

Spirit took another sip of coffee to parch his throat, and Soul was struck by how truly exhausted Spirit looked. All this time he (and he suspected Maka too) considered Spirit simply to be a ridiculous obstacle to their future (or even everyday) happiness. Now Soul could see how difficult this was for him. _Note to self. Think long and hard before having children._

"I won't lie to you and say that Kami was happy about it. At the beginning she was terrified. Terrified and furious. At me, and herself, maybe a little at Maka too, although this was still in the early stages. It was our first big fight, after I gave up all other women but her. She didn't want an abortion, we both agreed on that from the beginning. We considered adoption, and I admit, I was the one who suggested it. I thought I was going to lose her, and no matter how excited I was at the thought of becoming a parent, and of sharing a life with Kami, I was more afraid she'd leave me. But she didn't, and we eventually agreed to keep Maka.

"I can tell you something from experience, brat: you can't truly love your child until you have one. Until you're holding it in your arms – that's when you _understand_. And that's when I understood. When I held Maka after Kami had battled her out of her body...it's something indescribable. Someday maybe you'll know. It changed me, even more than Kami had.

"For a while, I thought it had changed Kami too. All we cared about for years was Maka, playing with her, feeding her, protecting her, providing for her...I became Shinigami's weapon when Kami was on maternity leave, so money was never a big issue. And if you think I pay Maka attention now, kid you ain't seen nothing. She became the focus of my life, and I will say this for Kami – she never resented it. She was thankful for it, I think. Even in those early days it was apparent that I _expressed_ my love for our daughter more than she did, but I chalked it down to our personalities – Kami was a very serious woman, and very rarely felt strongly for people.

"But as the years went by, Kami began to make plans that shuttled motherhood to the side. Maka wasn't 3 years old when Kami started fighting again, and you know how things are – accidents happen, and you can't always plan to be back strictly on time. So I began to stay home with Maka more and more. It was something we discussed. Someone should always be home with Maka, and I volunteered. At the beginning I merely wanted to spend time with my little girl. Yet as Maka began to grow older, and Kami began to spend more and more time out in the field, I realized my mistake.

"Kami...Kami had never set aside her dream of becoming the best. Even after we became the legendary duo, the need to achieve perfection never faded. And motherhood was not the kind of glory she craved. Maka probably doesn't remember, but for a long time she was convinced Kami could only stay with us 2 or 3 days a week because of some witch's curse. By the time Maka was in kindergarden I had already begun to make up lies for her. I had to flirt with the lady next door so Maka would have cookies to bring in on her snack day, because the times I tried to make them they'd end up in smoke. But Maka only remembers my flirting, not that Kami was systematically abandoning us for her career. She saw me networking with all those women, and somehow learned about my reputation. Of course, the older I got the more serious the flirting became. Yet I didn't cheat on Kami – didn't cross that line – until things got desperate. Maka had just turned 10, and Kami hadn't come home for a week. I knew that Kami was a workaholic, and that she'd never cheat on me, but I let it go to my head. After all, it was a matter of attention again. Not only was she not paying any attention to Maka, but also to me. So I did it, as you know. Kami found out a week later, and only because she came home long enough for me to finally have it out with her. You think telling me how much you love my daughter was awkward? Imagine telling your wife that you cheated on her, for entirely the wrong reasons.

"Of course you know what happened next. She slaps with me divorce papers, gains custody of Maka, and then disappears. I'm sure you know that much."

Soul nodded slowly. Spirit was neither in tears, nor terribly bitter. Just the same resignation he'd been wearing since he came to get him at the grocery store. Soul was beginning to understand why. To be honest, he'd always been confused about Maka's mom. He knew that Maka worshiped the ground she had trod, yet she hadn't seen her for the last 5 years. All there would be was the occasional postcard, filled with the same generic crap anyone could send anyone. It was always easier to hate Spirit, who was ever present and always annoying. Yet those factors were know working in his favor – he hadn't left Maka, was always a little too concerned with her welfare, and loved her desperately. But what was Spirit trying to do with all this?

"There was one thing that even Maka doesn't know, however. And unless you want to die a particularly slow death and earn her unending hatred, you'll keep it to yourself. Yet I have to tell you regardless, for several reasons. One, for if Kami comes back and tries to do some variation of it again. I doubt she will, but just in case. And two, so that you really understand what you are up against." He took a deep breath and pushed his coffee mug away. "The night before Kami handed me the papers, she waited until Maka was asleep, and called me down to the kitchen table. She had a proposition for me. She had thought about it, and realized that it was partially her fault – she had been pushing me away for years, and she wanted to make up for that. The deal was this: we would save our marriage, fix everything, have what we both wanted. Yet we had to leave for Europe, and fight together again as we had in our youths. You can imagine how I felt. Overjoyed to have her attention on me again, and the promise that our love would be healed. She would take me back! But then I asked her about school in Europe, how Maka would continue her education.

"She said nothing. Merely looked down at the table. And then I knew. She hadn't been avoiding me because she didn't love me. It wasn't even all her work's fault, although it certainly contributed. No, it was her ambition, and the conviction that Maka stood in the way. After all, she could hardly reach the top with a 10 year-old hounding her steps. She was going to leave Maka here in Shibusen, and she expected me to do the same. She was making me choose: her, or our daughter.

"Obviously you know what I chose. And how I've lived since then. I'm not a good guy, Soul. You know that. And really, I'm not trying to make Kami the bad guy here. She's not – she simply has different priorities than I do, and we couldn't reconcile them. The real problem is this: that no matter how many times Maka is faced with her mother's...issues, she refuses to see them. She worships Kami, and Kami left her behind without a second thought. Kami has even threatened once or twice over the last couple years to come and 'take Maka away.' The last time, even Shinigami-sama got involved. I'm not sure why Kami has sudden spurts of interest in Maka. It could be motherly affection, but seeing as how it's usually after word of your and Maka's successes reach her (for example, after you two defeated Arachne) I'd venture to say it's not. Not completely, at least."

"So you're worried she will come and take Maka away? Between myself and Tsubaki I'm pretty sure we could shoot that plan right down. Not even counting all of Maka's other friends, and her responsibilities here..." Soul was acting a bit more confident than he felt. Spirit was right at least in one respect. Maka longed to see her mother. Even if, as it was starting to seem, her mother wasn't even as loving as Soul's own had been.

And that was _bad. _

"No, no. I think you're right. Shinigami-sama would also have plenty to say if Kami came back here in person and uninvited. They didn't exactly part on the best of terms, we could say. Stein too would fight to keep Maka here. It's ironic – but although Stein and Kami hated each other, Maka is just about the one young person he admits to liking."

Soul filed that away. It was good to know who your allies were, especially during peace time. But it was time for clarification – there had been an awful lot of story, and not too much point. "Ok then. So why exactly are you telling me all this?"

Spirit sighed. "I'm only telling you all this because you are irrevocably in love with daughter, and are serious enough to go through with it. And I want my daughter to have a happier marriage than I did. If you understand what I'm trying to tell you, then I think the two of you have a chance."

The late hour was making Soul punchy. "So I have to understand that Maka's mom could be a tangible problem, and that Maka has commitment issues from both her parents."

"If you weren't in my home, you snot-nosed brat, I'd kick your ass. But yes. Those are two key points from what I've told you. There are others, but I'm sure you can figure them out."

Soul was too, but his head was spinning. This was far too much to comprehend at this hour in the morning...he needed to go back to the bachelor pad and sleep. He felt a flash of anger at Spirit for telling him all this. Now he'd have to go and straighten this all out before he could go back to Maka. And there was only one more day to this precious reprieve from reality -

He stopped himself before he could go any further. That wasn't what he wanted. He was in love with Maka, and dealing with this, even though it delayed his immediate gratification was far more important to their future, whether apart or together. He had to be strong about this.

"Thanks, old man. I'll – well, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to think pretty long and hard on this."

"Does it shake your resolve? Knowing that the same thing could happen to you?"

There was no hesitation in his heart. "Nope."

Spirit smiled, for the first time all night. "Of course it doesn't. That is because my darling Maka is so clearly superior to every other female, ever. Who couldn't help but love her?"

For once, both men were utterly in accordance.

Soul made to stand up, but Spirit gripped his wrist before he could get to his feet. "Swear to me that you won't tell her any of this-!" _Or I'll lose the little love she still feels for me,_ was the unspoken. Soul could finally sympathize with Spirit. He knew what it was like to be desperate for Maka Albarn's love...

"It's not my story to tell, old man. It wouldn't mean the right thing coming from me, anyways." Spirit let go of his hand abruptly, and turned away, as if that, out of everything that had been said tonight, embarrassed him.

He was nearly at the door when he heard Spirit say, as if musing aloud, "I'll just say, from one Death Scythe to another – falling in love is easy, but living that love is hard. We have our duty, and we are the best at it. I thought I'd found the way around it by falling in love with a woman whose life was that work. But it became her love, as well. So just... well, try not to make the same mistake I did."

Soul smirked at him, that shark-toothed grin that made Spirit's flesh crawl.

"I still hate you though. That will never change."

"The feeling's mutual, old man."

…

…

…

…

...

Resolves were interesting things. It was one thing to develop one late at night and in the presence of alcohol, best friends, and the vague memory of chocolate cupcakes. It was quite another to go through with it, when the man you've been in love with for the last year or so is staring you in the face.

"Tsubaki? What are you do-_what are you_ _wearing?"_

Make that staring at your chest. Or, to be even more precise, the lace-embroidered see-through teddy that was masquerading as a respectable piece of clothing. For a moment, Tsubaki rued the day she had ever listened to Blair's advice. How could seducing Black*Star fix anything? But then she noticed the slight haze in his light eyes, and the nervousness in his stance. He was staying well away from her, but it had been proved that he wanted her, right? So all she had to do was make him un-nervous, and they were in business. Mmmm, _business_.

"I think you can see for yourself, Black*Star. What does it look like?" She moved like a panther, congratulating herself on waiting until after he had eaten a massive lunch to make her move. If he didn't work it off basically right now, he'd be a little sluggish, and that was the jumping board into sleepy and sensual. Tsubaki felt no guilt over this. He could just work it off in a different way, couldn't he?

If Black*Star could remember how to think, he would wonder if this was how a mind could break. Yesterday, Tsubaki had been an emotional mess, and he had been torturing himself over how to fix things. Now, she was wearing what provided approximately the same amount of coverage as a paper napkin and was obviously gearing up for Round Two. Black*Star would never understand women. He could begin trying, however, as soon as he escaped this dangerous yet incredibly sexy situation. "Tsubaki, I'm not- I'm not entirely..." He was getting distracted, gods damn it! Every time she swayed a delectable part of her anatomy wiggled, and he could feel his brain shutting down. Soon, it would be too late. He had to get away from his partner before he gave into their mutual lust and- and...

"Black*_Star_..."

Why did she keep saying his name? Didn't she _know _he had been reliving their time together on a continual loop since he had first regained consciousness yesterday morning? Didn't she realize that every time she said his name, he remembered how she had breathed it into his ear, over and over as he had thrust into her? Didn't she understand how hard it was to withstand the urge to take her and make her his, even though he wasn't sure if he loved her or not?

Apparently not, as Tsubaki was now brushing her perfect breasts against his shoulder. She was not appreciating his strength of mind _at all. _

Oh yes. This was _definitely _how his life would end.

It was too much for him. Unwillingly he leaned his head back so his lips could brush her ear. He meant to tell her no. But then she bent down, and the next thing he knew there was a slow, wet path being traced along his collarbone, and he strongly suspected Tsubaki's tongue was the culprit. He shuddered, and lost his ability to speak. He would tell her to stop. Just one more moment - he needed a moment to comprehend what her hands were doing to his shoulders...now his pectorals...now his abdomen...

Just before her hands reached the promised land Black*Star jolted to awareness and threw himself back a step. A small, nearly forgotten neuron fired in his brain, and Black*Star remembered that he _wasn't supposed to be doing this._ But Tsubaki hadn't quite taken the hint the way Black*Star meant her to. Although she was no longer touching him, she was standing only a step away, touching herself.

Black*Star's mouth fell open. Tsubaki's tits were _in her own hands. _Why had he never dreamed about this? Why had this never happened before? Ok, he took back all the violent threats he had made towards the creators of Nyne. This was good. This was _very_ good. And this delectable torture could most definitely continue.

"Black*Star, come here..."

Mutely, he shook his head. His tongue was still tied up in knots, and he couldn't have told her to stop to save his life, but there was still that line he would not cross. It concerned Tsubaki's feelings and future happiness, and he would not give in.

Tsubaki pouted. "But you said you wanted to make me happy...and make me feel good. So come here, baby. Make me feel good."

"I'll hurt you." The thought escaped on an exhale, and he almost winced. Truth or no, that was not something he ever wanted to say to Tsubaki. "When Nyne is over...I don't know what will happen."

She stepped closer to him, her eyes glistening. Black*Star hated himself for derailing the moment, and for causing the sadness in Tsubaki's eyes. Yet to let it go would be worse, wouldn't it?

"No, Black*Star. You can't- please don't think like that. But if you have to...then let _me _make you feel good. Please?"

She was so close to him now, and so damned beautiful. It would be so easy to let go, and let her remake his world - yet her sincerity and vulnerability caused his heart to overflow and drown his libido. She was his partner, his weapon, his best friend. His Tsubaki. Her sexiness had almost made him forget, but he knew now he could never take advantage of her like this. He had to tell her. He had to at least _try._

He shut his eyes and extended his arms blindly, luckily making contact with her shoulders. "Tsubaki. I'm sorry, I- I _can't."_

Tsubaki hadn't thought her world could break apart again. Yet her heart felt like it was cracking in two, and her vision was blurring from the tears. This just didn't make any sense. She _knew_ he wanted her. The passion between them was undeniable! "But _why?"_

His arms were starting to shake, but he would not let go, and he would not give in. "Because! Tsubaki! This is too important! I can't hurt you again. I _can't._ And yes of course you're so damn beautiful and I want you so _fucking _much, but I still don't know if I love you or not. And if I say yes and then I don't love you then I'll hurt you and I can't do that because you are everything to me, and so much more important than Nyne or lust or love or everything else I don't fully understand. I can't lose you, Tsubaki. You are the most important part of my life, and without you there's no reason to become stronger, or train, or even wake up in the morning. I can't fuck around with you like this, Tsubaki. So please, _please _tell me you understand-"

He finally opened his eyes, fully expecting to see a broken woman in front of him. He had not expected wide-eyed wonder; where for once, the stars were reflecting from the depths of _her _soul.

"Tsubaki?"

She had never initiated soul resonance the way she was doing now. He felt himself being pulled along in her wake, for once following as she lead the way. Yet they were not _going _anywhere, she was merely showing him her heart in the way her words could not. And it took only the span of a heartbeat to realize that shenot only understood what he was trying to tell her, but that she also reciprocated it. In fact, all that was why she could tell him that she loved him, becausethat was what love _was._

It took only another heartbeat for Black*Star's understanding of the world to utterly change. He had been a fool all this time. Thank all the gods for that. There was no fight left in him. He pulled Tsubaki – his Tsubaki, his partner, and now his love – into his arms, and inhaled her scent, trying to steady his wildly beating heart.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was an idiot. I am an idiot. Tsubaki. I was fucking blind – I didn't understand, I-"

"Black*Star."

"Yes?

"Just say it!"

"...I love you too."

Then she was in his arms as if she had never left, and they were utterly lost to the world.

...

…

…

…

…

Between weapon and technician, there are things that are impossible to hide. In a relationship where souls touch with regularity, communication ascends to its highest state. Therefore, even without seeing or speaking with her partner, Maka knew several things about his talk with her father.

One: It was far, far longer than she had expected, and yet neither man had 'gone Death Scythe.' Maka was beyond worried that her partner and her father could spend several hours together without initiating battle. Something was very, very wrong.

Two: It was thought-provoking. So much so that Soul needed some space, even though he sent her several very evocative images through the link (and some heartfelt remembrances of their time in both the grocery store and in the black blood room) to reassure her. Even while he sent her those images, she could feel him keeping something back, holding something tightly to his chest so that it could not fly across their soul link. What on Shinigami's name could he be so bent on hiding from her?

Three: It had something to do with her mother.

Maka wasn't sure how she knew that, exactly. Something to do with a fuzzy realization that Soul was thinking about postcards, and his own mother's foibles. And that whenever she pushed against the link, he would clam up tighter than Medusa's fist. Whatever he had been told, he was afraid would hurt her. In a roundabout, 4-in-the-morning sort of way, Maka knew the only thing her papa could hurt her with was news of her mother.

She also knew that there was no way she could get this information out of her papa. Ridiculous as the man could be, any mention of her mother prompted either The Waterworks or an unexpected, stoic silence that would not be overcome even by her pouts and threats. That left Soul, and he was still unconscious, and she didn't trust herself to break into his apartment without also breaking into his pants. As Maka didn't want to wait another couple hours _after_ Soul regained consciousness before coming into (orgasmic) contact with her partner, she set off to wrest the information from the only other person she could think of.

"Professor Stein?"

Stein's head whipped around so fast his gear slipped a few notches. What the hell was Maka doing at his laboratory on a Sunday afternoon? He then remembered this was Spartoi's last day of being Nyned.

...Oh sweet stitches, she wasn't here for _that_ was she? Well, she _was_ Spirit's daughter - Stein was about to sprint off, leaving Maka and her teenaged hormones far, far behind him when something finally pierced through his panic.

"...my mother?"

Oh wait. She was talking, wasn't she. About... about Kami? Well damn. This really wasn't any better.

"I'm sorry, Maka. Could you say all that again?" He gave his neck-gear a crank, as if that had been the problem in the first place.

"Of course, Professor Stein. Papa had a private conversation with Soul last night, and although I don't know the details, I suspect it had to do with my mother. I realize neither of them want me to know what's going on, but we both know that I'm going to find out anyway, so whatever you know, _please tell me."_

Stein blinked. Twisted his gear. Blinked again. "Ok."

Maka gesticulated persuasively. "See, it really is in my best interest to- wait. You will?"

Stein smiled, and Maka remembered why as children, they had all been afraid of him. "Why wouldn't I?"

Well, when he put it that way... "But I thought you and my mother...didn't get along."

"True. But I have the information you want. I'm not going to sugar coat it for you, however. Are you sure you still want to know?"

Maka hesitated. For reasons she didn't like to consider too closely, she had never really sought after news of her mother. It was easier to imagine what Kami was doing, and how much she missed her only daughter. But Stein _knew_ her mother, and was an important, trusted resource in Maka's education and experience. He had truth, and it held the potential to shatter Maka's fantasies.

On the other hand, if something truly terrible had happened to her mother and Papa simply didn't want to tell her...she had to know.

"Okay, hit me."

Stein raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. "If you insist. Now, should I tell you everything, or just the pertinent parts? Keep in mind I can only guess at what Spirit told Soul. Your mother is a subject we don't touch on often."

Maka glanced at the watch on her wrist and grimaced. Soul would probably only be out for another hour or two, and Stein wasn't going anywhere. Her libido decided for her. "Just the important parts. I can get the rest out of him later."

Stein smirked. "Well then. Let's start with Kami's lack of communication, shall we?"

…

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…

Soul awoke with a head full of fuzz, and no remembrance of his dreams but the vague feeling that something, somewhere, was about to go very badly. It was an annoying feeling that niggled at his consciousness as he shuffled about the apartment, half looking for food, and half looking for Maka. Either would do, as he was hungry in more ways than one...

He was holding the package of stale graham crackers, squinting to read the expiration date with the dim illumination that evening light provides when awareness hit. _Maka._ _Day 7._ What the hell was he doing here, wasting time? Why the hell had he slept all day...? Moving quickly, however, did not seem to be in his best interest, which he learned when he face-planted on the floor. When it took him far longer than usual to get up, he had more questions to add to the lengthening queue – for instance, why was his sense of balance so off? Why did his brain feel like it was packed with cotton balls? What was this odd, bitter taste in his mouth? And why the hell did he feel like an old person?

Finally, his brain sluggishly made the connection - Spirit's coffee. _Spirit's suspiciously delicious coffee. _ The fucking bastard had slipped him some kind of sleeping pill, in order to ensure his precious daughter wouldn't be ravaged. Soul swore; thought more about it, and swore again. If Spirit had wrecked his golden opportunity to be with Maka, he was going to _wreck_ that man. He didn't care that Spirit had shown startling levels of maturity last night – that man was a devious bastard who was costing Soul his well-deserved sexy times, and, for all Soul knew, he had been lying about Kami anyways.

...But he hadn't been lying, had he? Soul doubted it. If he had simply wanted to knock his ass out, he wouldn't have needed the heart to heart as well. So then what was the sabotage about? It was like he was saying, 'I begrudgingly respect you and will give you advice...but you can't have my daughter tonight?' It wasn't like Soul was going to race back home and deflower Maka- well, ok, it was a possibility. Soul remembered Psyche-Maka's vision, and shuddered. It was a distinct possibility, that was now over _unless he found her right now._

It took Soul twice as long as it normally would to get dressed, but things began moving a little more smoothly after he'd forced himself to eat some graham crackers and peanut butter. Faster still when he found an old box of tea, and brewed himself a small jolt of caffeine. Yet it still took him almost 15 minutes to leave the apartment, and evening was falling fast. Assuming that Day 7 would end at noon tomorrow...that didn't leave Soul with much time. After all, he had to leave Maka with a taste of what his love would entail, and now he had only one night and a body that was still fighting off the dregs of Spirit's drugs to accomplish this goal. Matters became more dire when he realized that due to the hazy inability to stand up straight, he couldn't use his bike. After swearing some more; calling Black*Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Liz, Ox, Harvar, and Kilik (all of whom were suspiciously not responding) he came to the conclusion that he would simply have to walk there. It was a long way, and his body still felt like there was a disconnect between his brain and his limbs, but he would make it to his and Maka's apartment somehow.

He only hoped she was there.

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…

Maka steepled her fingers as she gazed across the kitchen counter. Her father quailed underneath her gaze, and for good reason – there was a decided glint in her eyes that promised pain and suffering to all those who crossed her. Unfortunately for her father, he had just dug his own grave.

"So let me get this straight: last night, while you were telling Soul..._secret death scythe things_, you also slipped him a 'harmless,' delayed-response sleeping pill, so that he wouldn't," and here, Maka brought her hands up to provide her with air quotes, "'attack' me. Is this correct?"

Spirit nodded miserably. When Maka had invited him over to her apartment about an hour ago, he had been giddy and unguarded, and hadn't forseen Maka's hidden motives. Of course, he had folded like a house of cards under her sweet, girlish interrogation, and had accidently let it slip that he had protected his darling daughter by removing her boorish suitor. Not permanently, mind you, but that didn't seem to matter to his daughter. Gods, he wished his ex-wife had loved him as much as his daughter loved her weapon...

"Maka-CHOP!"

He had seen it coming, but he let the blow land anyways. After all, it was nothing compared to what Soul would do to him when he came to. He did his best to ignore the blood now dripping down his face, and the indent in his forehead. A small, masochistic part of him was proud of his daughter's strength. The larger, more rational part of him feared for what must surely cap off the following conversation. His next sentence alone would justify several more Maka-chops, unless he played it off just right.

"You know, he's going to figure it out sooner or later. Dim as he is, your love for him is obvious. I know...your friends know...even Stein knows, and he prides himself on his ability to stay out of teenage drama. Eventually Soul will find out that you love him. What will you do then, Maka?"

Maka stared at her father, who had become an entirely different person in the space of a moment. Dumbly, she glanced down at the book, wondering if she had literally knocked some sense into him.

"Will you do nothing? Will you pretend that your affections were influenced by Nyne, and assure him that they are not real? Or will you admit that your feelings for him run deeper and of longer duration than he knows?"

Maka still couldn't respond. It had been a long, emotional, chaotic day in a week full of such days, and her mental and emotional exhaustion, coupled with what Stein had revealed to her earlier, set her at a disadvantage. Now she was faced with a man she realized she had never really known, yet who (apparently) knew her all too well. Her old games wouldn't work here, and for whatever reason, she knew that this facet of her father deserved truth, if not respect.

"And what if he loves you back? What will you put first, your feelings or your duty? You've made him a death scythe, and there's no going back from that. But someday, you will have to choose what is more important. Soul, or your career. _Both_ your careers, and-"

"_Enough."_ Maka set the dictionary down on the table, and sucked in a deep breath. "Fine. _Fine. _Yes. _Yes, I love him._ And yeah, Soul and I will have to talk about this someday. Probably sooner than I'd like, because of Nyne. And I don't...I don't _know_ what will happen, because it's not as easy as us simply loving each other, and walking off into the sunset. I _know_ that. But what I was most afraid of – and I guess you know all about what this is like – was that my feelings for him would wreck our relationship. But that's stupid. Even if Soul doesn't...doesn't l-like me back, I know that he values our partnership over everything else, and would never intentionally hurt me."

"You would accept his pity then? If he doesn't love you back?"

The pit of Maka's stomach turned to ice. For once, her papa was in the position to know something she didn't, as it was almost certain that he had spoken to Soul about this last night. Maybe her papa already knew if Soul really had feelings for her, or if he was only reacting to the Nyne. Maybe he was just trying to warn her...

"Absolutely not. And he knows me too well to even try." Maka remembered how close they had been when resonating on the dance floor, and in the grocery store. It was not just a matter of physical proximity; if Soul didn't love her back, she would know. The only reason _either_ of their true feelings were still up in the air was because of the masking effect of the Nyne.

"You think your relationship can continue like nothing has happened? That there won't be that wall of reserve between the two of you?"

Maka gritted her teeth. This was far more brutal than doubting herself, but she kept finding her answers from the need to overcome Spirit's challenges. "It won't be the same. But Nyne took that out of our hands anyway. It will be different, but it won't be unworkable. I won't let it. And neither will Soul."

Spirit let the moment stand, but he never looked away. "And if he does love you back? What will you pick – him, or your work?"

"I don't see why-" But she could, now that she had spoken to Stein. From what the man had not only told her, but _shown_ her, she knew why her father was thinking this far into the future. He had never prepared for such a question, and when it came the answer took him by surprise. And sometimes, the future wasn't as far off as you thought.

Maka opened her mouth to stutter out something that would show she had no freaking clue, but then she remembered what Soul had told her, just yesterday -

"_I know your style, Maka. You only think about your half of the equation, and then you try to make decisions for the both of us. Not this time, honey. Let me make this call."_

She almost smiled. "It's not up to me, Papa. Not entirely. If Soul loves me back...well, then we'll have a whole lot of talking to do about our future. But it's not something I can decide by myself."

Neither Albarn noticed soft _thud, thud, thud_, of feet walking slowly up the stairs.

"But neither is it entirely up to him. That's why we're partners, because we can't do everything - even making decisions – on our own. Not about something like this."

A key turned in the lock, yet Spirit was too absorbed with his daughter's honesty, and Maka with her determination to prove that she was her own woman and would not repeat her father's mistakes...or her mother's.

"His passions won't sway me, as I'm sure mine won't him. It won't be like...well, like you and Mama. I won't take advantage of his feelings for me. After all, if I could hold myself back when Nyned, going back to normal will be a breeze. It will be a relief-"

The door swung open, cutting off the rest of her words. Soul stood in the doorway, his red eyes sparking dangerously. Without saying anything, Maka knew he had been eavesdropping at the worst possible moment - his posture said it all. He was _enraged. _And as she was fairly sure her affections for him wouldn't cause the advent of the "detached, apathetic, and cool" veneer he usually used to hide his mounting anger, he had to have misunderstood her last sentence or two. Something about going back to normal? And it being a relief...

Oh no. _Oh fucking no._

"Soul, wait! It's not what you think! It's not-"

The door slammed before she could even make it halfway across the room. She threw open the door but he was gone, and even the sound of his retreating footsteps was fading away. He was gone. And he hadn't given her the keys to his other apartment, so short of breaking into Kid's mansion and getting ahold of his father...

To hell with it. She'd break into his apartment if she had to! A sudden thought occurred to Maka, and she slowly turned to give her Father a calculating look. Maybe she wouldn't be the one breaking into Soul's apartment...

Spirit whimpered.

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…**No, I don't work for the Devil, why do you ask?**

**Seriously. One more chapter. I promise. Next chapter...there will be SoMa. The moment you've all been waiting for. And reviews will make it come faster... :)**

**And to those of you who leave me awesome reviews that make my heart smile (you know who you are!) a thousand thanks and years of gratitude. Oh man. You guys are the best! **

**More thanks to Lu(eur-de-Laube) for reading through an early draft of this (go read her stuff. Right now. Gooooooo-!) and the community at grigoriwings for (knowingly or unknowingly) inspiring me to get this done, without waiting another year. Heh heh. Thanks guys ;)**

**...**

**One last order of business - **

** Contest time! If you're the 100th reviewer, guess what you get? A fic! And you can set the parameters and everything! God, I'm awkward, but you know what I'm trying to get at, right? So...review? :D**


	8. Day 8

**DAY 8: Of Star-Crossed Lovers Whose Orbits (_Finally)_ Collide**

**or:**

**The Moment You've All Been Waiting For **

**or:**

**Everyone and Their Father Wants Soul Eater Horizontal**

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**At this point, you **_**know **_**I don't own Soul Eater. I do own some sexy times, however, and they are located about halfway through the chapter. You are warned**!

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Soul's first reaction upon waking, face down on a ratty leather couch, was _where the hell am I, and why does it smell like formaldehyde? _The next, following closely on its heels, was _Maka doesn't love me back. She was just waiting for it to be over. And now she'll know about me loving her; __why else would her father be in her apartment? __ What the hell do I do now? _The third reaction however, trumped both of those concerns: _there is someone right behind me-_

Soul flipped his body over, bringing a scythe arm in a defensive position in front of his chest. Even before he faced the intruder, he took a mental stock of the situation – his clothes were on, Spirit's drugs had worn off enough for him to function normally, and, as far as he could tell with his adrenaline pumping like this, the Nyne had worn off. All these were good things. It meant he could focus on whoever was trying to scare the piss out of him first thing in the morning.

"Ahh, Soul-kun. I see you awake quite vigorously in the mornings."

"_Stein_? What the- oh so _that's_ why it smells like...wait, why am I here?"

"Ripped up my blanket, too. No wonder Maka looks annoyed most mornings. You must go through her blankets at an alarming rate."

Soul looked down at the shredded quilt on the floor. The apology died on his lips when he thought about another, slightly more literal meaning of Stein's last sentence. He was dangerously close to hating everything and anything he could think of, including trees, plastic bags, and air.

"I, uh. I can get you a new one. Sorry. So...how did I get here?" Yet the question was superfluous. Now that he was awake and not fearing for his life he could remember well enough – Stein had intercepted him during his mad dash from Maka's apartment, and, upon getting him to the lab, had promptly thrust a foul-smelling cloth at his face. Damn it, why were the middle-aged bachelors of Shibusen so intent on drugging him?

...On second thought, he did not want to know. He _really_ did not want to know.

Stein smiled his infuriating, enigmatic smile, and settled onto the couch opposite of Soul's. "Well, I was just coming to pick Spirit up from his 'date' with Maka, (because we all know how those usually end) when you came stumbling out of the apartment complex on what I can only assume was a drunken rampage -"

"I was drugged," Soul ground out between clenched teeth. "Spirit fucking drugged me and it hadn't worn off yet."

Stein raised an eyebrow so subtly that it was barely perceivable. "Ahh? So that's what he used it for?" Soul's face warned him against continuing. "All right, all right. Anyway, you rush out onto the street, and it was fairly obvious you were- how shall I say...upset about something." He paused and shot a glance at Soul, but Soul's lips were sealed. "Something you are still upset about now."

Soul looked away, unable to hold the mad scientist's pinning gaze.

"And, as I had the _privilege_ of speaking to both Maka and Spirit yesterday, I can hazard a guess as to what it is."

_Great, even Stein knew. I am the lamest example of masculinity on the planet._

"Spirit refuses to accept you as a son-in-law."

The choked gurgle surprised Stein. He had never heard something like that coming from the normally cool and collected Soul Eater...when he wasn't proving his namesake, of course. He had also never seen the boy hang his head in his hands, clearly distraught. Huh. Will wonders never cease.

"That's...that's not it. Spirit had nothing to do with it, this time."

Stein tapped his chin reflectively. "So Maka doesn't want you to be her son-in-law?"

Soul exploded. "Gods damn it, Stein! She doesn't want me, ok? Do I have to tell every freaking person in Shibusen? I'm her _partner_ and her_ weapon_ and her _best friend _and that is _it."_

"She told you this?"

"No, I- I overheard her talking to Spirit." Soul knew he had to get it together, but he couldn't help the bitter dejection in his voice. Stein pointedly ignored teen drama, and he certainly didn't want to hear this; no matter how much Stein seemed to like Maka and himself. Soul should go before he made an absolute fool of himself. "Look, it's ok. Thank you for taking care of me last night. And for not cutting me up. And letting me...get that off my chest. I can replace the blanket, too."

Stein leaned back and steepled his fingers, clearly not ready to drop the topic. "Now, now, Soul-kun. School doesn't start for another hour or so...and I did, as you say, take care of you last night. I have a few more questions..."

Soul sighed. He glance darted between the couch and the door, as if assessing his chances of getting out of there without getting dissected and/or drugged (again). Then he carefully sat back down on the couch, unconsciously betraying his upbringing for any who cared to look.

"That's better. Now, what did Maka tell Spirit?"

This was like pulling a tooth. The quicker it ended, the sooner he could go home and wallow in abject misery. "She said that she wouldn't take advantage of my feelings for her. That she had been able to hold back while Nyned, so 'going back to normal would be a relief.' That's kind of difficult to take out of context, Stein. She doesn't want me, and now knows that I...well, yeah. Yeah."

Stein casually crossed his legs, and calmly lit up a cigarette. "You made five mistakes, Soul-kun." He took a puff, and exhaled. "Two involve letting Spirit Albarn drug you – honestly _what_ were you thinking - and the way you don't pick up your knees when you run. It makes you look like a duck. But that's in the past now. Would you like to know what the big three are?"

Soul's eyes narrowed. He really didn't want to be lectured, at the moment. Especially if the advice wasn't going to make any sense- _duck my ass._ And he _really_ didn't like the smell of nicotine, yet he leaned forward nonetheless.

"Your first mistake was taking anything Maka said to her father at face value. While you may be honest in your dealings with Spirit, Maka generally is not. Her heart has been hurt by Spirit's actions time and time again. Why would she tell the truth about her feelings for you? She has been attempting to protect you for years...why would that change now?"

_Because Nyne changed everything. Because he must have known we were kissing in the grocery store. Because she knows we had a serious talk about her. _

_ ...But could Stein be right? Was Maka just lying to protect me? _Then Soul remembered how straightforward and honest she was. Could she have lied about something as important as this?

"Secondly, Spirit had been at your apartment for an hour by the time I picked you up. If that's all you heard, then you missed about an hour's worth of...conversation. Despite your protests to the contrary, I know for a fact that you heard something without understanding the context. You're not the only one who had a heart-to-heart the other day. Oh yes. Maka came to me desperate to know what Spirit was telling you – and to know if you'd be all right." He held up his hands at Soul's sudden, wolfish interest. "Ah ah _ahh_- not my news to tell. Although it does segue nicely into your third -well, fifth -mistake."

The ornamental Japanese fan met his forehead with no warning. It wasn't the most painful chop he had received within the last few days (hell, even the box of Christ Crackers hurt more than this) but it was disconcerting – since when had Stein 'learned' the Maka-chop?

"Your biggest mistake is running away when you could have simply talked to Maka about all of this. You know, _your partner._ The one you have sworn to protect with your life? I realize love is hard – I've never even tried, to be honest – but this is either a huge misunderstanding or an important change in your relationship, and running away solves nothing. Even I know that. Even _Spirit _knows that. So, Soul-kun. Those are the issues. Are you going to fix them?"

After a moment Soul stood, determined. Although he was galvanized by Stein's uncharacteristic speech, he still didn't hold out much hope. Save for Stein's mention of a secret talk with Maka...but even then, hope wasn't something that came to him easily. Dedication did, however. He was dedicated to Maka and their current relationship and this newfound resolve to make her his. So he would. One step at a time. Even if it took him his entire lifetime.

"Exit's that way, Soul-kun. Make me proud."

"Yes, _sir."_

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...

Something was beeping. Black*Star slid into a partial awareness, pulling away from the inchoate security of his dreams. Something was beeping, and he needed to find it and stop the beeping, because Tsubaki was exhausted, and she needed to sleep. Finding the beep(ing thing) would be difficult, however, as his eyes refused to open, and there was something warm and pleasant lying against his side. Dimly, he wondered what it was. Maybe Tsubaki would know?

_Tsubaki-_

Black*Star woke up with a rush of awareness, and total recall of last evening. Tsubaki in the teddy. Tsubaki kissing and touching and _seducing_ him. Tsubaki teaching him exactly what love was. Tsubaki who was currently sleeping in his embrace.

Black*Star gazed down at her. She slept with her mouth open, making the little snuffling sound that he had grown accustomed to after years of sharing a room in their youth. Her lips were red and swollen, and her hair was a wellspring of chaos, and she was utterly beautiful. Black*Star then remembered that by now, the Nyne had worn off.

He smiled.

Nothing had changed, he decided, snuggling in closer to Tsubaki while simultaneously switching off the alarm clock. Nothing had changed. And nothing would change. It was going to be a magnificent existence.

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Maka had fallen asleep at 3 in the morning. Her father had left hours before then, after planting a tentative kiss on her scalp and a promise to contact Shinigami-sama and make up a reasonable excuse as to why they had broken into Soul's apartment last night. She had said nothing, merely turning away as he left. She was far too concerned with what she would say when Soul came back, what he would do, and how she could fix this situation. Currently, she saw only one option: to confess the truth of her feelings for him, and somehow convince him it was a compliment to his ego, not a reason for leaving her behind. She thought he wouldn't leave her behind. After all, if her words had hurt him this deeply, was it too much to hope that he returned her feelings? Or was the pain connected to the superficial lust generated by Nyne?

These thoughts whirled around in her head, leaving her drifting about this apartment, unable to form a solid plan of action. Finally she decided: Soul wasn't here, so she would wait here until he returned. He _would_ return, and then she would be here, and then she would explain everything. Yet the hours of stressing and pacing and waiting took their toll, and when she finally succumbed and slumped over onto the couch she passed out, not waking up again until it was almost noon. Even then, Soul had still not come back.

It took only a few minutes of frenzied searching to discern that he hadn't come back and left before she awoke. So what then? Was he avoiding her? This was not the sort of situation her education covered, and Maka entertained dark thoughts about Shibusen's curriculum. Upon catching her reflection in the microwave, she realized that wasn't the only thing to worry about – she looked like hell. Were Soul to stroll through the front door right now; Nyned, primed, and ready to roll, he'd probably turn her down simply because she looked like she'd been run through a wheat thresher. Fuck. Maka weighed her options. Soul wasn't here, and neither did she know where he was. It was likely he'd passed out on a friend's couch, and if his night had been anything like hers, there was a good chance he'd still be sleeping. Additionally, it would be better for her to clean up a little before confessing her love. Showers were everyone's best friend, and all that. There was also a teeny tiny chance that Soul had somehow circled back to their apartment after she had raced out into the night looking for him. Decision made, Maka jogged out into the morning sun, not bothering to lock the door behind her. Her father...well. _She_ had done quite a number on Soul's door, and it wouldn't be opening – or closing – anytime soon...

So great was Maka's preoccupation with finding Soul that she didn't realize he was in her apartment until she was staring directly at him. He was standing in the kitchen, not looking any better (or cleaner) than she was, and all thoughts of showering flew out of her head – he was _right there. _Then he turned and looked at her.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other, surprised into immobility by the other's physical presence. Then, Maka stepped towards him, a peculiar light in her eyes.

Soul felt his courage draining away. In their relationship, she was the as the sun, just as he was the moon – she was the brash, heartfelt courage, while he slunk in the shadows, clothing himself in his sarcasms, and occasionally reflected her light. Yet there are times when even the moon eclipses the sun, and he was determined to make this one of those times. "Maka, I'm sorry I ran off last night. I can explain-"

"Soul, no, let _me _explain_-"_

_ "_Maka-_"_

"No, _please_ Soul. You have to listen – just this once. Please let me do this." She took a deep breath, and fixed him with pleading eyes that might have moved mountains, had they the same effect they did on his heart. "Soul, I know this may be hard to believe, but you honestly misunderstood me last night. When I said that it would be a relief to no longer be Nyned, it was in response to a very specific question Papa had asked. It wasn't because I don't..." She trailed off, noting Soul's terrifying lack of expression. Here was her worst fear; that he either wouldn't believe her, or wouldn't care. Still, she soldiered on. Her heart may break and she might even cry right in front of him, but her courage wouldn't fail her now. "Soul, I have something I have to tell you. Maybe I should have told you this a long time ago, and I still haven't totally come to terms with this, but- it is true, and I am not lying. Soul, I-"

"I love you."

Her eyes flew to his; unbelieving, uncomprehending. Yet her heart knew what her mind did not, and its beat increased in her chest. His gaze was so serious, so earnest, so utterly fixed on hers that her perception of the world around her dimmed, and everything in her universe stemmed from him.

He had to swallow before he continued, a combination from the sheer terror of confessing his love, and the reaction to seeing his partner turned to stone before him. Was she even breathing? And could this possibly be a good thing? "I've known it since we faced Arachne, but I know it's been there even longer than that. Maybe since Medusa injected me with the black blood. I don't know. What I do know, is that you – you are everything to me, and I can't let you go. Not even if you don't love me back." Soul ran a hair through his white hair, pushing the bangs back from his forehead, consternation written on his brow. "I _love_ you, Maka. And I'm sorry if-"

Somewhere in the midst of his confession, Maka's brain had kicked into gear. Her reasoning skills were still impaired, but she had harrowed out the important bits – _Soul loved her back_ – and was now pulling up a limited array of responses to them. The first thing her brain could come up with was _pounce._ So pounce she did.

Her momentum pushed them up against the refrigerator, but Soul didn't seem to mind. Even when her fingers were lacing themselves through his hair, and she was bringing her face to hers. Especiallywhen she murmured _IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou_ as a mantra against his warm lips. By then, Soul not only didn't mind, but had taken over control again, holding her close to him and kissing her deeply. It was, for their extents and purposes, their first kiss. It was experienced in the waking world, full of sweetness and contradictions, and as ephemeral as only real life can be. It was a moment neither of them ever forgot, and would serve as a shield against madness in the years to come.

Yet in the here and now, Maka's mind had gone calm and quiet, forgetting its ingrained fears that she would be like her father, and her newfound worries that she might instead be as her mother. Her senses were filled with Soul – his hands like fire against her body; his clean smell that she could feel sinking down into her skin; the swallowed groans and hums that evoked her response, and the taste of his mouth that shot delicious waves of heat throughout her body. How could she have waited so long for this? How could she have resisted this?

She remembered, vaguely, what he had enjoyed in the black room. It did not take as much courage as she would have assumed to flick her tongue across his lips, reveling in his sharp exhale as she did. It was providence that she had opened her eyes to see his reaction – his eyes were dark, hazy, and utterly predatory. Maka had not realized she would be so turned on by dominance. She would have to remember that for the future...

The detente lasted only a moment before Soul leaned back into her, welcoming her tentative forays across his lips, and retaliating with some of his own. His movements were different than hers, slower and far more languid, while hers were born of frenetic rushes of sexual energy. Yet the slow pass his tongue against her lips and teeth was driving her insane. She needed him. She had very little sexual experience but she knew her body, and she needed him _right now. _

"Soul, we should-"

"Wait, Maka. Wait." He held her close to him, sinking his head against her neck. He inhaled deeply, and Maka felt desire stirring like a tangible force deep within her. Then they both spoke.

"I know, it's too fast-"

"Let's just get out of the kitchen-"

Maka's cheeks bloomed red as Soul stared at her, wide-eyed in surprise and desire. She squeezed her knees together and knew, without a doubt, that she was her father's daughter. She knew she should wait for marriage, but she also knew she wasn't going one more day without Soul belonging to her, physically and completely. Now, assured of Soul's love as well as his devotion, she did not give a damn about anything else.

"Are you sure?" His voice was alternatively low and crackly, and only 3 shades above desperate. Sweet gods he hoped she was certain. After the week-long buildup he wasn't sure how he was going to last...

Maka nodded slowly. Then, she gently took his hand, and slowly lead him to her bedroom, only breaking eye contact to locate and turn the doorknob. Neither said a word until they were on the other side of the door, shut safely away from the world.

Soul moved close to her, so that he could rest his forehead against hers. "You're beautiful," he mumbled, effectively handing over his Cool Card. He wasn't sure how Cool Guys handled intimate encounters with their loved ones, nor how Maka would take outright praise, but he was Soul, gods damn it, and he was going to say it. "So damn beautiful." Judging by the flush steadily creeping across her cheeks, it was the right thing to say. Almost as right as nudging her face back just enough so that he could kiss her again. Kissing her would never get old, he knew. Not when there was always so much to pay attention to – her lips, her tentative fingers trailing paths over his skin, the little noises that she made. Of course, there was also the matter of her body to attend to, and it was a matter that was definitely beginning to pull on his attention. Maybe there were still some vestiges of Nyne left in him, but the siren call to bring their bodies together was quickly overpowering his romantic ideals. Judging by the way her fingers were beginning to catch on his shoulders and hips with a little more desperation than was necessary, Maka felt the same. Against her lips, Soul smirked. This was _glorious._

_This was insanity._ Maka couldn't take much more of this. Her body was burning up out of her control, and she was beginning to get frustrated with Soul's patience. Wasn't he the man here? Wasn't he the one desperate to disrobe and deflower the willing female? He was her weapon, however. Maybe he was waiting for her lead? Therein lay the rub – she didn't know _how_ to lead.

She knew Soul didn't either, which was partially why he was so hesitant to move beyond simple (_scorching)_ kisses and hesitant (_hot as hell) _caresses. But the boy watched porn! He pleasured himself! He had to have _some_ idea! And she, apt pupil that she was, was ready to learn.

Her chance materialized when Soul began to trace slow paths up and down her earlobe with his tongue. "_Mmm-_ Soul?"

"Yes, my master?" His voice was low, sultry, and entirely to sexy for words. A small part of her wondered that she could so easily give total control over herself to Soul, but the larger portion of her knew that her trust in him was not only well-deserved, but natural and unshakeable. There was also _no way_ she could deny him when he was doing that sexy _yes master..._thing. Both parts of her were utterly in accordance that this was the sexiest thing that had ever happened to her, and there was no power on earth that was going to stop it.

"I don't know- _ahh – _exactly what to do. - _Uhhh Soul- _Will you," a sharp inhale as he teased her earlobe between his teeth, "teach me?"

Soul was fairly sure he was having a heart attack, or this was the most delicious dream of his life. Could it be possible that Maka Albarn had actually used those words in a sentence? In that context? All the drama and pain of the last week had been worth it, just to be in this position now. _All _of it. "I'll do my best..." Was she really giving him this much power, this much responsibility for her pleasure, happiness, and well-being? He supposed it was understandable. After all, he'd given her all of that years ago. He gave her one last lingering kiss before taking a step away from her, so that he could look her in the eye. "Step one: Undress your partner. _Slowly._"

The blood staining her cheeks would be there for all time, she was sure of it. "But...but the lights-"

Soul reached out and deftly flicked the light switch down. The light that filtered in through the curtains would be enough to assuage Maka's modesty, he hoped. "Better? I can go first, if you want. I can distract you if you get nervous..." Soul was looking forward to that part, to be honest, but Maka shook her head, shy yet determined.

"I want to go first. If that's ok?"

The thought of Maka's eyes and hands roving over his body made it more than ok. Besides, she was obviously far more nervous about this than him, and he'd do anything to set her at ease. "C'mere then." He grinned his lopsided grin at her, beckoning to her.

Maka ran her hands up his chest, smoothing over his shoulders, trickling down his arms. She was obviously a little lost and nervous, and utterly adorable. Soul half took pity on her and on his supercharged libido, and took things in hand. "Here, how about we do this together?" He ran the backs of his fingers down her face, chin, and neck until he reached the first button on her blouse. She mimicked him, not realizing that the fact that they were both wearing button up shirts was a piece of symmetry that would have had Kid squealing.

Her fingers were trembling at the buttons. She was still freaking out a little. Obviously he had to do something about this. "Want to know one of the things I love most about you?"

"My small breasts?" Maybe he was wrong about her freaking out. If she could still manage sarcasm at this moment she was probably ok.

"No. Well, yeah- but what I was _going_ to say was," He was at the fourth button now, and was almost distracted by a peek of cleavage, "the look you get when there's a good chance we're about to get trampled. It's this light in your eye – not madness, but maybe something similar – and I know that when I see it, I don't care if I live or die. It means we're together, and we're about to do something amazing, and that you're the bravest person I know. I love that. Is that weird?"

"Not as much as it should be. But that wasn't very romantic, Soul." Another button undone.

"I'm trying, Maka." One button left...

"It was downright morbid, in fact."

"I am trying _very_ _hard._" _There. _

She smiled then, and yanked on the now open flaps of his shirt. "I appreciate it, however. Now _kiss me_."

He brought their lips together, and in the moment before their lips touched, he whispered against them. "Step two: touch each other."

The press of their lips chased away their thoughts, and brought them back to the urgent present. Yet Maka didn't feel as nervous anymore. Maybe it was Soul's awkward attempt at wooing, but her hesitancy was gone. And so, when she felt long fingers against her stomach, hips, and back, she didn't shy away. She merely brought her own fingers to his chest, where the barely raised nubs called to her – she remembered Soul had appreciated this...

His fingers were skimming up her back, and for a moment she was disappointed. Hitherto, they had always mimicked each other, and her breasts felt heavy and full, practically aching for attention. Yet then she felt him fumbling with the clasp, and she understood. Something naughty prompted her to pull on his nipples a little more distinctly, and she was rewarded with a ragged moan. His fingers stilled for a moment, clearly processing the pleasure. Then they twisted luckily, and her bra was undone.

The next thing Maka knew was that her bra was hanging halfway down her stomach, straps caught awkwardly at her elbows, and Soul's hands were all over her. For a moment she attempted to shimmy out of her bra, but then she was far too distracted with Soul's ministrations. His attention was primarily on her nipples, pleasingly pink and large in comparison to her breasts. He twisted and flicked, tugged and rubbed, and shamefully soon Maka was spiraling into a dizzy haze. The warmth between her legs was quickly becoming a trickling moisture that she couldn't help but rub her legs together to offset. Thinking that Soul might feel something similar, she reached a tentative hand between _his_ legs, jerkily coming into contact with an oddly-shaped bulge that even she (innocent as she was) knew was his penis. Especially when he shuddered, and his lips stilled against hers. She ran her fingers over it, slowly adding more pressure. When she finally cupped her hand over it, pressing firmly, Soul groaned and his fingers twisted a little too tightly, causing her to squeak. He pulled back, instantly contrite. Yet then a lazy smile settled onto his face.

"Here, let me kiss them and make it better-"

The his mouth was on her, swirling first around one nipple, and then the other. Maka let out a strangled sound as she dug her fingers into his hair. She was so distracted by the feel of his mouth on her, kissing and licking and sucking- that she was easily led backwards, and was surprised to feel herself falling onto bed a moment later.

It was somehow worlds more intimate when they were on the bed, the force of gravity pushing his body against hers. Now it felt more natural to run her fingers through his hair as he trailed hot kisses from one breast to another. And when his fingers started trailing ascending patterns over her long legs, it felt good to wriggle her hips against the bed and provide him a bit more access. The dizzy haze was back in full force, but Maka was long past caring – she merely wanted to touch Soul and make him feel as good as he was making her feel. So she pulled him up to her, and whispered a collection of naughty words she'd never thought she'd say. "Soul. Step One. Take your pants off."

Soul's cock twitched against his newly outlawed pants, and for a moment he had to breathe deeply or risk embarrassing himself. There was a large part of him that wanted nothing more than to simply thrust himself inside of her, and never come back out again. But even more than that he wanted _her_ to feel the amount of pleasure he would. Talk about pressure and being whipped, all at once... Yet her fingers were bypassing his hesitation, and were already working at the zipper on his jeans. Pressing a quick kiss to her temple, Soul leaned on one elbow and helped her with the button, and between the two of them his pants were soon laying in a crumpled heap on the floor. Moments later, her skirt was being shimmied down her legs, a far more pleasing process, in Soul's opinion. Yet then there were only scraps of cloth between them, and it was a hell of a lot harder to control himself. He had wanted to approach her with collected reverence, but he was afraid he was already tipping onto the desperate side of the spectrum. Amazingly, she didn't seem to mind. She pushed up against him when he touched her more forcefully than he had intended, as if she wanted even more contact, and she gasped when he accidentally squeezed her inner thigh a bit too roughly.

"Ahh I'm sorry-"

Maka grimaced at him as she raised herself up on her elbows. "Soul. I'm not made of glass, you know. It feels...it feels good when you do that. You don't have to be so _careful."_

Well then. He would just have to enjoy himself, wouldn't he- Without vacillating further, he tore through the sides of her panties with a careful scythe finger, ignoring Maka's squawk of protest. Then long, human fingers were rubbing against her core, and his technician fell back against the bed, making delicious little hums of satisfaction, and occasionally flicking her hips just the tiniest bit.

For once, Maka couldn't care about her conduct. She was far too busy processing the warm, trickling pleasure emanating upwards throughout her body. How did Soul know how to do this? How could mere fingers against slick folds of flesh make the rest of her body tingle with flashes of pleasure? Coherent thought was lost when she felt a finger nudge inside of her, however. It was impossible to describe how it felt – all she could think was that she was meant to be filled, and finally Soul was the one doing it. She wondered at his harsh exhalation, and the look of pained pleasure on his face – did he feel the same amount of dizzying pleasure from this act that she did? He must have, for just as he began to thrust his finger in and out of her, he added another one, and the look on his face didn't change.

Maka could feel his fingers pushing against the sides of her womb, and although she had always expected this experience to feel alien and awkward, it felt _amazing._ It was not merely pleasure in and off itself, like it had been when he had been caressing her clit – it was the primal knowledge that she was finally whole, and that she was joining together with Soul in a way that could not be undone. Yet the pleasure was not to be ignored. The trickling heat was quickly fanned into roiling waves of pleasure, and she no longer had the presence of mind to hold herself back. So, with _years_ of sexual frustration and thwarted love driving her, Maka moaned, "Soul. I _want _you. _Please."_

Soul stilled for a moment, utterly torn between continuing and fulfilling one of his sexiest fantasies (causing her to orgasm, all by himself) and jumping backwards off the bed to secure Blair's unexpected geniu- _gift. _He even knew where the box was, having practically stumbled over it when he'd first gotten to the apartment, and had snooped around Maka's room to see if she'd been hiding under the bed. He slipped his thumb over her clit a few more times before the twitching in his cock and Maka's moans stopped him. She wanted this..._he _wanted this...why was he prolonging this? Yes, he was halfway to coming _right fucking now_ and he definitely wouldn't last long, as Cool Young Gentlemen were supposed to...but this was Maka, and if she wanted him, it was going to happen. Right now.

In the end, he didn't even have to get off the bed. He simply withdrew his hand, (resisting the temptation to lick it and fulfill another 4 fantasies,) and reached down to grab the box. It was the work of a moment to extricate a single square package from the multitude, and a markedly longer moment to figure out which way was in fact the correct way. Things were made more difficult by Maka running a languid hand up and down her body, sometimes pausing to tweak a nipple, sometimes to gently rub against the hidden jewel amongst her folds. Oh shit, there was another 18 fantasies right there...

Swearing, Soul finally rolled the latex over his throbbing death scythe junior, and leaned back over her, careful not to bring their lower bodies into contact yet. Maka was arching towards him, eager as always to get this show on the road, but for once Soul was going to be completely in control. After all, this wasn't like a first kiss. Athletic as she was, Soul knew this was going to hurt her, and no matter how reckless she may be it was his job to protect her, and shield her from as much pain as he could.

"Maka. I love you. Now and forever - _I love you." _Before she could respond verbally (he saw something blossom against the lustful haze in her eyes, and knew that she loved him too) he bent down and captured her lips with his for a chaste, reassuring kiss. Then slowly, _oh so fucking slowly, _he nudged the tip of himself into her. Just ¼ inch. Just enough to calm her down, and to realize that there was no other experience quite like sinking himself into her. Yet ¼ inch was never enough, so he soldiered (slowly) on, trying his best not to just shove himself inside. She made it extremely difficult, however, with her cliched, ridiculous, _glorious _pressure and heat and slickness... Soul bit his lip and groaned against her mouth as he surrendered another ½ inch to her. And then another, and another. It was torture of the most exquisite kind, and there was a hell of a lot of temptation to just let go and _fuck her_ but the careful, almost-in-pain expression on Maka's face held him back. As soon as he was more than halfway in this was going to seriously hurt, he knew it. Yet then there was another ½ inch in, and he was over the halfway point, and he was about to fucking lose it-

Maka's pained inhale pulled him out of his thoughts, and almost caused him to pull out of her. "I'm sorry Maka, are you- should I pull out?"

She shook her head frenetically, and Soul felt her hands grab his ass. "Soul. Just...all the way, _please._ Like ripping off a bandaid, ok? All at once. _Please."_

Soul's gulped. He was entirely unconvinced that he could do that. Yet this was Maka, and there was no way he was going to gainsay her at the moment. So, gritting his teeth and squeezing shut his eyes, he thrust in completely.

His pleasure-addled groan mingled with her pained gasp, and it took all of his fortitude not to pull back and slam into her and never, ever stop. Somehow he found the strength to wait, even though he felt as if his cock was on fire (in the best way possible.) Yet every one of the following moments was sheer, hellish bliss. He knew he should open his eyes to see if Maka was still grimacing in pain, but he suspected that if he unscrewed his eyelids the sight of her under him, naked and _all hi__s_would demolish what little self-control he had left. So he froze, trembling, praying that Maka's pain would subside...any moment now.

Maka, on the other hand, was trying her best to focus on anything but the sharp pain in her womb. When she had heard – well, read – about losing one's virginity, she had always imagined the pain between her legs...not this splitting sensation that was directly inside the center of her body, something that felt foreign and dangerous and yet at the same time intrinsically correct. Beyond that pain, however, there was the odd sensation of being full, and completing what she had always considered as a physical alternative to soul resonance. She wasn't sure what she thought about that theory, now that it was happening to her. There was simply too much Soul in the equation, and she couldn't find her sense of self when she was hyper-focused on her partner, the way he was shaking above her, and the way he felt inside her. Yet now the pain was _finally_ fading, and after she'd made a tentative shift of her own hips, she was ready for Soul to move as well.

"Soul...you can-_ah!" _His body had gotten the picture before she had, and barely a moment after she had moved against him, he had let go. Unable to take the stillness any longer he had pulled back before pushing in again, even more deeply than before if that were possible. Then, because once was never enough, he repeated the motion, quickly gaining confidence when Maka showed no sign of pain, disgust, or inexplicable death. Within a few more strokes he had established a slow, deliberate rhythm in order to let Maka adjust. In the back of his head he suspected this sort of pace was ideal for a slow, simmering build-up, but at the moment the entirety of his concentration was focused on the organ currently sliding in and out of Maka, and her reaction to it. Thankfully, she seemed to be enjoying this as well, if he could judge by her erratic breathing patterns, high-pitched moans, the hands that desperately clutched his shoulders, and the way her hips kept pushing up against his own. The only problem was that if she kept this up, he'd be coming far more quickly than he'd like, especially because Maka hadn't come, and he had no idea if she was going to. Was she one of those vaunted women who could come without external stimulation? While he knew it wasn't the end of the world if she didn't come before he did, and that he could always service her afterwards, right now it seemed imperative that he take care of her needs first. Anytime, really. Maybe like right now.

Perhaps he _could_ do something to address that – Soul quickly reviewed his options. There _was_ a position that would afford them the intimacy of looking each other in the eye as they proceeded...but was Maka flexible enough? Soul thought back to any number of battles over the last three years and the answer was a definitive _hell yes_. So, after one last thrust, he pulled out completely, nearly falling off the bed in his haste.

"Soul? What happened? Where are you..."

"Right here, love. Just wanted to take care of you, too." He pulled her to the edge of the bed so that she was almost hanging off, and positioned himself at her entrance. Thank Shinigami for his unreasonably tall bed...! He sank into her again, this time delighting that her groan was no longer pained, but an expression of her pleasure. With his feet on the floor it was a little easier to control the speed of his thrusts, although gauging depth was still a minor issue. Yet this way, he could lean over her, continue to kiss her, and snake his hand between their bodies...

Maka gasped as she felt his hands on her breasts, rougher now than he had been before, but he was unquestionably more distracted now than then, and at the moment it all felt too good to be denied. His pace was faster now, and she couldn't help but moan into his mouth as his cock shuttled in and out of her. Coherent thoughts and complex sentences were not a thing of the here and now, but she did know that this was something she should have done a long time ago, and would cease never. Especially when Soul's fingers dipped lower, and with her own fingers shakily guiding him, began to rub haphazard circles over her wet clitoris. As if her heightening sense of pleasure and his were connected, his thrusts became faster and more forceful, and dimly Maka wondered if he was close. Yet it was hard to think about anything else when she knew for certain that she wouldn't last much longer. The trickling heat had returned with a vengeance, and every stroke just fanned the flame further until in the end she was ablaze, back arching off the bed as every cell in her body spontaneously combusted, flinging her into that primal, euphoric stratosphere. For a long moment she drifted there, unaware that she had screamed her lover's name, too overcome by the sudden cresting of the wave. Somewhere far below her, she was vaguely aware that Soul was pounding into her harder than ever, but it wasn't until he called her name that Maka realized Soul was on the opposite edge of the wave than her. "Soul. Come for me. Come, Soul, I love you so much-"

Soul hissed as he came, and the expression on his face as he was undone was one that Maka would take to her grave. There was a jagged beauty in seeing Soul's composure break apart at the seams, more so because it was for love of her. It was more important than the slow cessation of his hips against hers, and the exhaustion that was slowly creeping over her body. It was, while it lasted, more important than remembering how to breathe. As Soul came down from his own high, Maka's heart swelled and all the fears, doubts, and insecurities she had undergone this past week were suddenly incredibly precious to her. Without them she wouldn't have realized the extent of her love for Soul, and wouldn't be here now whispering her love for him as he slumped down on top of her, just as exhausted as she was. She also wouldn't be here giggling quietly as Soul dazedly pulled out of her, staring at her through drooping eyelashes as if she were the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. And she most certainly would not have lain on the bed within the confines of his embrace, basking in the afterglow of a long belated and much needed union, drifting off into dreams of a happy, hectic future.

…

…

…

They dozed for hours, tangling together on the bed as the sun filtered in through the curtains, dimly illuminating the room. Their love for each other threaded through their dreams, and if one woke the other by an insistent caress or a meeting of lips became something more, it was only to be expected. In this manner did they while away the afternoon, until the dwindling light and the occasional rumble from their stomachs prompted them to slowly rise, and, in Maka's case, wish they had taken her virginity on a towel.

"Ahh Soul- I'm so sorry! I didn't realize there would be so much...well, you know. Blood." She cringed as she looked down at it. That was...pretty gross.

For once, Soul didn't panic about the thought of his technician's blood being anywhere other than inside her body, as was the proper place. "It's fine, Maka. Laundry day's tomorrow, anyway. One night won't kill it." Then, because he was utterly sated, he nuzzled her neck, hoping to will her tension away.

Yet for some odd reason, her tension only increased. "Soul?"

"Yes, love?" Maybe if he placed a kiss or two on her neck it would work?

"Is today Monday?"

Soul thought the question odd, but didn't hesitate to respond. "Mhhhm."

Her sudden intake of breath was his only warning. "Maka-CHOP!" Her hand came out of nowhere, landing firmly on his skull. Needless to say, all thoughts of further exploring Maka's neck were abandoned.

"Oww! Maka! What the hell?"

"We had school today! We missed an _entire day of school!"_

Soul winced. He had been hoping she wouldn't realize that until tomorrow...

"We need to contact Shinigami-sama, and Professor Stein, and-"

Soul would have winced harder, had it been possible to do so.

Now, even Maka began to look deflated, and wound down accordingly. "And...Papa-"

That was it. Clearly, leaving the bed was a bad idea. There was only one solution. Unceremoniously, he picked her up and dumped her back down onto the bed.

"Soul! Hey! What are you-" Further protest was cut off by his mouth that slanted over hers, and fingers that began to trail down her over-stimulated skin. Within minutes, they were working steadily towards fever pitch, and whether by luck or design, neither Soul nor Maka thought about anything else for the rest of the night.

…

…

…

..

…

Halfway across town in Stein's laboratory, a middle-aged man was weeping. "My precious darling! The love of my life! In the hands of that _brat!_ I can't stand it! How could it have come to this? How- why – WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Stein sighed, and surreptitiously sprinkled an odorless, tasteless, powder into one of the mugs of coffee he was currently preparing. "Hai, hai, Senpai. Here, take this. It's not as good as yours, but it will have to do."

Spirit accepted the cup and sipped gratefully, barely pausing in the outpouring of his grief. Unbeknownst to him, however, Stein allowed himself a little smirk. A little of Spirit's complaining, a little tasteless, untraceable rohypnol...tonight was going to be just like old times.

Yet just as Stein was turning to give Spirit his full attention (it would only be another 10 minutes or so, what with the concentrated dosage he had administered) his eyes swung to a journal wedged in between an old cookbook and several pamphlets on motor repair. It seemed innocuous enough. No one would ever suspect that within its pages lay not only an in depth study of Nyne, its symptoms, and _all_ the people it affected, but also the formula...

...and the antidote.

Science was _fun._

…

…

…

…

…

**Muahahaha. ****Who saw that coming? Be honest, now. ****To be fair, Stein didn't envision the Forces of Chaos coming into play...but you bet your buttons that he loved every moment! ****-To be ****clear, Stein invented Nyne, and then ****scattered ****it around****so that**** the Witches would find it****(****yet not understand it****)**** - ****something that may come up ****in the epilogue.**

**There will be an epilogue (someday), but for most extents and purposes this fic is pretty much finished. PM me if you really want to know about any loose ends, and I will do my best to respond...and get that epilogue up faster! **

** There is also a slight, slight chance of a sequel. Just putting that out there. **

…

**Dear tigerhorse,**

**About your prize one****shot****...which, I will announce, shall be named **_**Stein's Shoppe of Curios. **__**(Are you excited? I fucking am. Love Stein. Love. Him.) **_**It may ****be ****becoming something rather larger, but the first installment sh****ould hopefully**** be up soon, so stay tuned :)**

…

**Yet on the most serious note, ****(****of all my serious notes,****)**** I would like to thank anyone and everyone for reading, favoriting, alerting, reviewing, ****(etc. etc.****) this fic. ****I'll let you be the judge on how t****his**** turned out, but either way, I'm ridiculously ****grateful to those who have stuck with me on this. **

** *****Takes a bow*******

**Until next time!****  
**


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